


All I Know is You

by Fin_Finley



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Eventual Happy Ending, Extremely Slow Burn, Friendship/Love, M/M, Slice of Life, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:35:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27717572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fin_Finley/pseuds/Fin_Finley
Summary: In which Hinata is starting his first year at university and winds up with Kageyama as his roommate.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Shimizu Kiyoko/Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 13
Kudos: 93





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my first ever piece of fanfiction! I used to write original fiction, and after a 3 year hiatus I have returned with major inspiration for these volleyball idiots. 
> 
> I don't have a regular update schedule, but I do have the majority of this fic already planned out! Please reach out to me if you have any feedback or questions, I'd love to talk with you!
> 
> I try to review my work as best as I can for any errors, but I don't have a beta so I am sorry if any errors make it in that I missed!
> 
> Oh, and for the purposes of this fic, Kenma is the same age as Hinata!
> 
> As a disclaimer: I do NOT own any of these characters. This piece is entirely a work of fiction!

“Crap, crap, crap!” Hinata swore aloud as he struggled to pedal faster on his bike, his cheeks red and lungs ablaze. The crisp morning air bit at his face as he pedalled faster than he ever had before, standing up to get more leverage. The popsicle he grabbed as a last resort attempt at breakfast hang precariously from his hand as he simultaneously gripped the handlebars in front of him.

The dwindling colour from the end of the morning’s sunrise shone against his skin, only serving to remind him how much faster he needed to go.

He’d woken up late that morning, having forgotten to set an alarm as he’d been too exhausted from all the travelling he’d done in the few days prior. Today was his first ever day of university, and the day of the entrance ceremony. He had woken up in a panic, toothbrush sticking out of his mouth and toothpaste dribbling down his chin while he quickly put jeans on and shoved a brown jumper over his head. He wasn’t even sure he remembered to pack everything he needed from the hotel room as he shoved articles of clothing and school supplies into his bag haphazardly before dashing out the door, unruly orange hair standing out every which way.

Hinata breathed out evenly as he turned the corner to the university’s entrance gate, heart hammering in his chest, not only from all the energy he’d put into rushing to school, but also from seeing the insane mass of students pouring in and out of all the buildings. It sent a rush of excitement through his veins- seeing all the smiling faces of new and returning students, all discussing their plans for the year ahead. _Gwahh_ , he thought to himself as he smiled wide. He’d waited _so_ long to be here!

He came to a stop at the bike racks, hopping off his still-moving bike and pulling it into a stand. As he bent to lock his bike up, he felt more than saw the rest of his popsicle sliding off of the wooden sticks, and only had time to watch in dismay as it slid off and onto the ground with a soft ‘plop’.

“Arghh! Are you kidding me?” He shrieked to himself, stomping his foot on the ground in a tantrum, bending to try to clean the mess. He didn’t have much time to react before he saw someone walking out of the corner of his eye, directly towards the fallen popsicle.

“Hey, watch out!” He said from the ground, but the feet didn’t stop. He looked up quickly, and without much time to react before this person stepped in his mess and caused more trouble than he’d already gotten himself into, Hinata closed his eyes and shoved the person to the side at the very last second. “I’m sor-” He started to apologize, before he heard the stranger grunt and yell loudly.

“Oi, dumbass,” Came a thundering voice from above him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? That hurt!”

Hinata grimaced, and as he slowly opened his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of a tall, black-haired student with one headphone pulled from his ear in his hand, and boy- was he angry. The fuming look on the stranger’s face sent chills down his spine. His steel blue eyes pierced Hinata’s brown orbs, and it left him at a loss for words.

Hinata stared at the stranger in front of him, slender build and chiselled facial features etched with annoyance as he stared down at the orange haired male.

“H-Hey, I was just trying to stop you from stepping in my popsicle,” Hinata stuttered out, standing up and pointing down towards his mess. “but if you wanna be an ass about it, you can go right ahead for all I care!” He finished with an angry huff, all of the emotions from his rushed morning quickly coming to the surface. Who did this guy think he was?

The stranger looked at him briefly with widened eyes, before muttering an angry “idiot” and quickly walking away, shoving the headphone back into his ear without a look back at Hinata.

Hinata stood, dumbfounded, as he watched the stranger leave. Before he could process the situation, he jumped at the feeling of his phone vibrating in his pocket- it was a text from Kenma. Hinata’s tension left him almost immediately as he smiled down at his phone. He hadn’t seen Kenma since the end of high school, and he was longing to see his friend’s face. Having gone through so much change in the past few days with travelling, moving, and all the new people, Hinata just wanted to see something familiar.

**PermanentlyExhausted** : _Where are you?_

**Tangerine** : _running late_ , _be there soon!!!! dropped my popsicle and met some rude guy and I just got here_ (ಥ﹏ಥ)

He texted back, not waiting for a response as he started running towards the entrance hall, taking one last longing look at his lost popsicle.

Most of the buildings on campus were big, often almost bigger than Hinata’s whole high school, but the entrance hall was _huge_ , with a towering glass ceiling that lit up every corner. Students crowded the hallways, flooding the large building with noise and conversation. Hinata gaped as he ran through the corridors looking for Kenma, relief flooding him as he spotted his black-blond hair.

“I am SO happy to see you…” Hinata started, panting as he rested his hands against his thighs, trying to catch his breath. Kenma glanced up from his phone as he leant against the wall, looking just as indifferent as usual. “Have you seen this building? _Isn’t it insane_?! I have no idea how I’m going to find any of the buildings for my classes let alone the classrooms!” He continued, a pained look on his face as he imagined himself running late to all of his classes because he went the wrong direction. He always was bad with directions.

“It’s good to see you too, Shouyou.” Kenma replied calmly, snickering a little at Hinata’s state.

The entrance ceremony went about as expected, they’d spent the whole ceremony not paying attention to anything being said to them. Kenma busied himself with playing the new Switch game he’d gotten a few days ago, while Hinata spent the ceremony entranced by all of the students around him.

Everyone was so different- some people listened intently to the welcoming speeches put on by the administration, others were immersed in bored chatter with their companions, but the thing that amazed Hinata the most was the energy in the room. It was like he could feel all of the excitement and nervousness, like the air itself was vibrating. Hinata inhaled happily and closed his eyes, listening to all of the sounds around him as he let his own excitement take over.

* * *

After he had said his goodbyes to Kenma with the promise that they’d meet up later that evening for dinner, Hinata sprinted off towards the dormitories. It was _finally_ time for him to get his stuff moved in and to finally meet his roommate.

_My roommate!_ Hinata thought excitedly, he’d spent almost all of his travel time wondering what his roommate would be like, because they would be the person Hinata would see the most throughout the school year. He wondered if they were loud or quiet, what major they would have, if they’d be friends or if they would get along.

He was torn out of his thoughts as he entered the dormitory building, surprised at how large it actually was. Once he reached his floor, he stopped to look around the common area. Two large couches faced a TV and a big window, some smaller beanbag chairs and a patch sofa haphazardly scattered around.

A loud “Welcome!” suddenly echoed throughout the spacious lounge area. He jumped, whipping around to see a silver headed male jogging over to him, a big grin on his face as he waved at Hinata.

“I’m Suga! I’m going to be one of your RA’s this year.” He stated simply, outstretching his hand for Hinata to shake. Hinata took it and smiled sheepishly at him, rubbing the back of his head. He had never seen such a friendly and welcoming smile on someone before, it wasn’t a surprise he was an RA. “This guy over here is Daichi. He’s your other RA! We’re both third years. I’m taking education and Daichi here is in criminal justice!” He finished, gesturing towards a short-haired male sitting on one of the couches.

“Yo!” Daichi replied, looking up from his laptop and offering Hinata a wave. “If you break any of the rules, I’ll know.” He finished in a serious tone, but his eyes were joking as he pointed back and forth between Hinata’s and his own.

“I’m Hinata, Hinata Shouyou! It’s great to meet you!” Hinata responded loudly, flashing them both a bright smile. Suga laughed at this, flipping through the sheets he had on his clipboard, presumably looking for which room was going to be his.

“I bet you’re excited to see your room, right? It’s going to be the third door on the left!” He finished excitedly, gesturing towards the corridor on the right as he handed Hinata his set of keys.

The dormitory building was a multi-floor tower with two corridors, connected by a communal living area and small kitchen in the middle. This dorm building was co-ed, meaning one of the corridors would be for female students to live in, and the other would be for male students to live. There was also a cafeteria and communal study space on the first floor for all students and staff of the dorms to use.

Hinata jumped excitedly, muttering a quick “thank you!” to Suga as he practically ran towards his new room, skipping with each step. He came to a stop at the door, halting when he saw his name plastered on the door in bright red paper lettering, the name ‘Kageyama Tobio’ written beside his in blue.

_That must be my roommate!_ He thought excitedly to himself, heart racing at the thought of meeting his new dorm mate. He knocked on the door and waited for a few seconds, but there was no answer.

“Oh, Hinata, your roommate already moved his stuff in yesterday! I know you’re arriving later than most of the other students, so I should let you know that many of them have already settled in for a day or two.” Suga said from the edge of the corridor, leaning on the archway. He gave a sympathetic smile at seeing Hinata’s disappointed face. “He left a little while ago, but you’ll have a lot of time to get to know each other later, so don’t worry!” He finished, flashing Hinata a thumbs-up and another one of those big grins before walking back to the living area.

Taking a breath to relax, Hinata grasped the doorknob and turned his key, opening the door. He was greeted by the sight of two beds and two desks, one on each side of the small room, with a window in the centre, separating the two halves. Hinata had been lucky enough to be placed on the third floor, one of the only floors that had private bathrooms for each room with a toilet, sink, and shower. The walls were a light beige, and the floor was a grey-purple carpet that looked like it hadn’t been washed in years. Hinata grimaced and shuddered at the thought, glancing towards the left side of the room, where all of his boxes were stacked haphazardly in the corner.

Hinata’s mother had organized the move, letting Hinata have the freedom to travel on his own without having to worry about dealing with moving all of his physical items as well as himself. He had never been more grateful for his mother’s thoughtfulness, especially considering what a mess it was for him to even get to the entrance ceremony that morning. Hinata smiled to himself, flushing as he thought about his lack of organization.

He glanced towards the right side of the room, which, had he not been told that someone had moved in already, Hinata might have guessed that nobody was there at all. The bed was made neatly with a white duvet and a navy blue blanket, and the only signs of someone’s personal items were a laptop in the centre of the desk and a volleyball sitting beside it.

Hinata’s interest piqued as he wandered over to look at the volleyball sitting gently on the desk, worn from use. He’d have to ask about that later. He’d played volleyball all throughout high school, and it remained his absolute favourite activity when he had free time. He couldn’t count the amount of time he’d spent in his backyard, tossing to himself to de-stress from exams and homework. Maybe this was an opportunity for him to connect with his mysterious roommate!

He turned toward his boxes, breaking his gaze with the volleyball as he rolled up the sleeves on his jumper. “Alright, let’s get to work!”

* * *

It took him a little over an hour to finish unpacking, but Hinata hadn’t minded at all. As soon as he saw the drab, empty room, he had been so excited to fill it with life and memories. He pasted dozens of pictures on the wall of him and his mother, his little sister Natsu, and his old school friends.

He smiled as he taped the pictures of him, Izumi, and Kouji all playing soccer together in middle school. It had been ages since he’d seen the two of them but looking at their pictures together always put a smile on his face. He even had a couple polaroids of him and Kenma, from when they went to the beach a year prior.

Kenma had sat outside for hours playing his game, and hadn’t realized how hot it was until he and Hinata went for a swim, and Hinata burst out laughing while pointing at his neck. He’d burnt all the way from his shoulders to his ears, the bright red standing out starkly against his pale skin. Kenma had complained for weeks, vowing to never go outside again.

Hinata smiled fondly at the memory. He and Kenma had met when Kenma’s team visited for a practice match in their second year. Hinata, amazed at Kenma’s dual-toned hair and skills as a setter, immediately bombarded Kenma with questions and interest. Kenma had only looked at him in surprise before chuckling softly, and that was the start of their blossoming friendship.

Hinata never got to verse their team again before they graduated, but he and Kenma often practiced together along with Kenma’s best friend and team-captain, Kuroo, when the other man was available. It was thanks to them that Hinata was able to really develop his skills in volleyball.

Sighing satisfactorily with a hand on his hip and wiping some sweat from his brow, Hinata gazed at his masterpiece with pride shining in his eyes. His bright red blanket and pillow contrasted with the beige on the walls, but having all of his pictures up made his side of the room feel like home.

He glanced towards his phone, seeing the screen light up with a text.

**PermanentlyExhausted** : _Are you ready? We’re going to go for dinner now. Kuroo said he’ll introduce us to some of his third-year friends, and you’d better be with me because I don’t feel like talking to any of them._

**Tangerine** : _coming! don’t worry kenma, i’ll save you from having to use your words._ (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*･ﾟ✧

All that Kenma texted back was an emoji rolling its eyes.

* * *

Kenma and Hinata met Kuroo at the doors of the restaurant, his black hair standing up in all directions. Normally people’s hair calmed down with age, but every time Hinata saw Kuroo it was as if his hair got worse in defiance.

“Hey little guy! Long time no see!” Kuroo spoke as he hit Hinata on the shoulder playfully.

Hinata turned to him in faux anger, balling his hands into fists as he pointed towards the taller male.

“Hey, I grew a whole half an inch this summer!” He stated proudly, raising his shoulders to appear as tall as he possibly could. Kuroo responded with a loud laugh, Kenma snickering beside him.

All three turned around at the “Hey, hey, hey!” that came from behind them, Kuroo rolling his eyes as he shot the two approaching strangers a smile. The taller male, the one who had yelled, had wildly spiked black and grey hair, his amber eyes shining as he flashed a radiating grin. The shorter male, with short curly hair and dark blue eyes, stayed quiet but offered the three of them a polite smile.

“Kenma, Hinata,” Kuroo said, gesturing to the two smaller males, “this is Bokuto and Akaashi!” he said with a grin before turning towards his older friends. “Bokuto, Akaashi,” He repeated, turning back to the two younger males, “this is Kenma, and Hinata!” He finished with a proud smile, gesturing grandly between the four of them.

Kenma just rolled his eyes and muttered a “Nice to meet you” before jabbing Kuroo in the side with his elbow. “Thanks for the double introduction.” He added quietly, and Kuroo feigned hurt.

“Hi!” Hinata said excitedly, offering his hand out for the two men to shake. Bokuto shook his hand vigorously, patting him on the shoulder and offering him a wide grin.

“I like the enthusiasm, kid! What’re you in? Akaashi and I are both in Kinesiology. I want to be a personal trainer, and Akaashi here wants to work in rehab!” Bokuto spoke as they moved to sit down at their table.

“I uh… I’m actually in general studies right now, I don’t know what I want to go into but I know I want to go to school!” He replied excitedly, offering a sheepish smile.

“Don’t worry about it!” Bokuto said simply, before Akaashi cut in.

“Honestly, you have more time than you think. Bokuto took up until the beginning of this year to decide.”

Bokuto flushed a little at that, nodding towards Hinata. “Yeah, I originally started in Chemistry. That’s actually how Kuroo and I met!” He added.

“Yeah, and the only reason you passed that class is because I let you use my notes the entire term.” Kuroo spoke from behind his menu, smirking.

“You’re damn right! C’s get degrees!” He laughed, before his eyes widened a bit and he turned towards Hinata and Kenma. “I mean- always try your best! Be studious and always make school your top priority!” He laughed, flashing them both a thumbs up. Akaashi just rolled his eyes and smiled beside him.

“So, Kenma, what are you taking?” Akaashi asked, glancing at Kenma as the blond looked up from his phone.

“Business”.

* * *

Dinner came and went fast, and before Hinata knew it he was waving goodbye to his friends as he neared the dormitories with a full stomach and a warm heart. The sun had set but the sky was still alight, casting golden rays on the buildings and trees. It was only his first day and he’d already had so many new experiences and met so many awesome people. He couldn’t help but think about how great the year ahead was going to be.

As he opened the door to his floor, he was immediately met with a few stares from new eyes that he’d never met before.

“Uhm, hello!” He squeaked, rubbing the back of his neck as he walked further into the common room. On one of the couches sat two males, one with dark green hair that stuck up at odd places and freckles that covered his whole face, the other a taller male with short blond hair and glasses, who seemed interested in anything but Hinata standing in front of him.

“My name is Hinata! Hinata Shouyou. What’re yours?” He questioned, smiling towards the two of them.

“My name is Yamaguchi, and this is Tsukishima.” Came a soft reply from the green haired male as he gestured between the two of them. Tsukishima only nodded in response, not looking up from the book he was reading. “It’s nice to meet you!” Yamaguchi added afterwards, flashing a small smile towards Hinata.

Hinata smiled back, a little put off by the blond blatantly ignoring him.

“U-uhm…” Came a quiet voice from behind him. Hinata startled and turned around to see a girl about his height with blonde hair, blushing furiously as she nervously tried to continue her sentence.

“M-my name is Yachi! It’s a pleasure to meet you!” She squealed, bowing in front of Hinata.

Hinata chuckled and shook her hand once she stood up, his ease seeming to reassure her. She relaxed and gave him a sheepish smile.

He was shaken from his thoughts as he saw a door close out of the corner of his eye- that was his room, his roommate must finally be home!

“I’m sorry, but I should go and meet my new roommate! See you soon!” He said to the three of them, a wide smile crossing his face as he excitedly walked towards his room.

“Best of luck.” Tsukishima said sarcastically after him, a small smirk on his face as he continued to read.

“Tsukki , don’t be rude.” Yamaguchi warned, flashing Hinata a sympathetic smile.

Hinata looked back, confused, but decided not to push the topic. All that he could feel in that moment were his excitement and nerves as he knocked on the door a few times before opening it slowly. The sight that greeted him made his jaw drop, his hand hanging limply on the doorknob as he stared inside the room.

In the centre of the room stood the tall, black haired stranger from earlier that morning, a surprised look on his face as he turned towards Hinata, brows piercing in annoyance.

“It’s you!” He said stupidly, pointing an accusatory finger towards the slender man, confusion taking over his face, mirroring Hinata’s own.

“Huh?” his roommate said angrily, clenching his fists as he stared at Hinata with daggers in his eyes.

“You’re the rude guy that almost stepped in my popsicle!” Hinata squealed, heart hammering in his chest. He could not believe his eyes.

So, this was his roommate, Kageyama Tobio.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata struggles with Kageyama, and Yachi gives him some sound advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter two! I have 5 days left of fun ol' isolation (I came into contact with someone with the Virus That Must Not Be Named), so I'm trying to write as much as I can while my inspiration is high and I have the free time! Thanks to everyone that's given me kudos on this fic/bookmarked it, I'm so, so, so glad that you are enjoying the story so far!   
> Again, I'm sorry if there are any errors that make it in that I may have missed!

Kageyama just stared back at him stupidly, irritation piercing his brows.

“The rude guy that-” Kageyama started to respond before sighing frustratedly, standing up straighter and walking towards Hinata. Hinata gawked as Kageyama strode towards him, stepping back on instinct into the hallway. Kageyama looked like he was going to murder him, blue eyes ablaze. “I wouldn’t have yelled at you if you didn’t shove me!” He finished, hand gesturing towards Hinata.

Hinata just stared back at him, dumbfounded, before his brain kicked into gear and he stood up straighter, walking back into the room and standing his ground in front of Kageyama.

“I- I was only trying to stop you from stepping in my mess and getting dirty, and I-” he started, before exhaling loudly and pressing his fingers against his eyelids. He did _not_ want to start off on such bad footing with his new roommate, especially since they would be seeing each other every single day. “Listen, I’m sorry for shoving you. My name is Hinata, Hinata Shouyou.” He said, outstretching his hand for Kageyama to shake.

Kageyama just stared back at him with wide eyes, like the cogs were turning in his brain, before he rolled his eyes and turned to get back to what he was doing, pulling notebooks out of his bag and setting them on the desk.

“I know, I saw your name on the door.” He responded shortly, sitting down and as he opened his computer.

Hinata could only stare at the other male for the millionth time that night before throwing his arms in the air dramatically, rolling his eyes at the back of his roommate’s head.

“Nice to meet you too, _Kageyama_.” He responded sarcastically. “I’m going to take a shower.” He finished, sighing as he turned to grab his towel and toothbrush. Kageyama turned to look at him, staring for a minute before he responded. The intense gaze made Hinata flush, toothbrush dangling from one hand.

“That’s fine, I shower in the mornings anyway.” He responded casually, turning back to his screen and ending the conversation.

Hinata just nodded to himself and walked into the bathroom, taking his clothes off and turning on the shower. He sighed contentedly as he felt the warm water sliding against his skin, easing the tension his body held from such an overwhelming first day.

When he finished his shower, he slid on a pair of navy pyjama pants with waves all over them, smiling to himself in the mirror as he brushed his teeth. The waves always reminded him of calm summer days at the beach. One of his happy places.

He steeled himself before opening the door, rubbing a towel over his damp hair to get the remaining moisture droplets off. He looked up to see Kageyama still on his computer, headphones in and completely focused on his schoolwork. Classes hadn’t even started yet, so why was he already doing homework?

Hinata sighed as he sat down on his bed, watching Kageyama from behind. His black hair was pin straight, long enough that the strands rested on the nape of his neck. Hinata wondered absently whether they’d be soft or coarse.

Wait- where had _that_ come from?

He shook his head to change his train of thought, thinking back to Kageyama’s irritated eyes and murderous look.

Yeah, that was more like it.

He crossed his legs, sitting with his back against the wall as he pulled out his phone to text Kenma.

**Tangerine** : _kenma u will not believe this, guess who my roommate is?!_

**PermanentlyExhausted** : _Why are you texting me this late? I was almost asleep._

A few seconds later, another text came in.

**PermanentlyExhausted** : _Who is it?_

**Tangerine** : _it’s the rude guy from this morning!!!! his name is kageyama. he’s got these mean eyes and i think his eyebrows are permanently glued together because he’s so angry. i don’t know how i’m going to live with him as my roommate_ (ಥ﹏ಥ)

**PermanentlyExhausted** : _you’ll be fine, just give it a few days. He probably just wants to scare you into not talking to him._

**Tangerine** : _u think so? i guess i can do that_ …

Hinata texted back, sighing to himself as he looked up at the ceiling. Wait it out a few days, huh? Maybe Kageyama would relax a bit and open up to him more.

**PermanentlyExhausted** : _Yes, now go to bed and let me sleep._

**Tangerine** : _okayyy, goodnight kenma <3_

**PermanentlyExhausted** : _Night._

Hinata put down his phone, giving one last glance to the back of Kageyama’s head before he flopped down on the bed, turning to face the wall. God, it was _so_ awkward trying to fall asleep next to a stranger, let alone a stranger that probably already hated you.

Hinata pinched his brows and sighed evenly, trying to think of all the good things that had happened to him that day as he forced himself to sleep.

* * *

By the time he woke up, rubbing the crust from his eyes and the drool from his cheek, Kageyama was already gone. The morning light shone through their window, casting rays against the dusty carpet as Hinata sat up in his bed. He glanced to Kageyama’s side of the room; his bed was made neatly but his school bag was still leaning against the desk on the floor.

_So, he hasn’t gone to classes yet_. Hinata thought to himself as he yawned, stretching his arms and arching his back. Just then, the door to their room opened and Hinata startled, hands falling into his lap.

In walked Kageyama, damp hair plastered against his cheeks with sweat as he panted lightly, pulling the headphones from his ears. Before he could register the situation, Kageyama raised his head and met Hinata’s eyes. The taller male immediately looked to the side, eyes wide and face flushing ever so slightly as he focused on shutting the door.

“You sleep without a shirt?” Kageyama questioned, walking into the room and digging in his drawer, pointedly ignoring Hinata.

Hinata immediately grabbed the blankets in front of him, balling them up to cover his exposed chest. His face flushed with embarrassment, pink reaching his ears.

“Y-you sleep _with_ a shirt?” He responded self-consciously, internally groaning at his stupid reply. He laid back in the bed, pulling the covers over his head to hide himself from his embarrassment. Instead of a reply, all Hinata heard was the sound of the bathroom door clicking shut and the shower turning on.

_Great_ , he thought to himself bitterly, what a fantastic start to their second day as roommates. _No, it’s okay. Give it time. He’s probably just trying to get me to not talk to him, just like Kenma said_. Hinata consoled himself, launching himself out of bed dramatically.

“Okay, let’s go!” He said loudly to himself before slapping a hand over his mouth and sparing a glance towards the closed bathroom door. He’d have to stop talking out loud to nobody.

* * *

His first classes went as good as they could have- he luckily only ended up being late to two of them, because the buildings were a _lot_ further away than he’d initially thought. His professors seemed nice, but he failed to pay attention to whatever they were saying, as he was completely absorbed by watching all of the students around him. Hinata was _amazed_ at how many students could fit into one classroom, and some of his lecture halls fit over _a hundred_ people at once!

“Don’t worry about the first few days, literally nothing happens for like the first week.” One of his classmates had told him, patting him on the back sympathetically after he’d awkwardly asked if there was anything important they needed to do for the next lecture.

He walked back to the dorms with one hand in his pocket, the other gripping his backpack as he closed his eyes and inhaled the fresh afternoon air. He could tell why he’d always heard people calling universities their own little cities.

He opened the door to his floor excitedly, a little out of breath after booking it up the stairs. He saw Yachi, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi all sitting with one another on the couches. Tsukishima was reading, while Yachi and Yamaguchi were distracted in an animated conversation about something happening on the television. Hinata walked over to them and sat down on one of the beanbag chairs, realizing there were two more people in the room that he hadn’t met yesterday.

“Oh, Hinata!” Yachi said excitedly as she turned to him, flushing as she realized her forwardness. “How was your first day?” She asked with a smile.

“It was good! I was only late to two of my classes,” He started,

“Only two?” Tsukishima interrupted, a smirk on his face before he rolled his eyes as Yamaguchi elbowed him in the stomach.

Hinata huffed at the blond before continuing. “Yeah, _only two_.” He responded sarcastically, smiling as the others chuckled.

“So! Hinata, huh?” Came a loud voice, and Hinata turned to look at the two strangers sitting on one of the other couches. The one that spoke was short, really short- it almost looked like he could be shorter than Hinata himself.

“What are you in?” The other stranger quickly interjected, his hair was shaved short, with a smirk on his face as he leant forward to listen to Hinata’s answer.

“I-I’m in general studies right now.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “What are your names?” He questioned, turning to look at them and crossing his legs, taking his backpack off and letting it sit beside the beanbag chair.

“Mine’s Nishinoya! But you can call me Noya if you want.” The shorter male responded with a wide grin, pointing with his thumb at himself proudly.

“I’m Tanaka, only the coolest guy you’ll ever meet!” Said the taller male, a proud grin on his face as he posed dramatically. “We’re both second years, so you’ll have to listen to us if we tell you to do anything, okay?” He finished with a devilish smirk.

“Don’t listen to him, he just likes to flaunt his age over people.” Noya interrupted, all of them laughing at Tanaka’s dejected face. “But, if you wanna buy us food sometime to get on our good side I’m not opposed.” He finished, smirking at Hinata before bursting into laughter again.

The six of them sat for a few hours, flipping back and forth between trying (and failing) to work on some of their early assignments, and getting caught up in animated conversation about all the crazy and strange people they’d met on campus so far.

As if on cue, they were startled out of their focus at the sound of the door opening. In walked Kageyama, headphones on, totally oblivious to the handful of stares he was receiving as he walked across the floor and into their room without a glance towards the couches.

“Ah, looks like the floor King is back.” Tsukishima said into the silence.

“The what?” Noya asked, a confused look on his face as he turned to face the blond. Everyone else mirrored Noya’s confusion at the odd nickname.

“The King. When he moved in, he basically ignored all of us and hasn’t spoken to anyone since. I guess he doesn’t like talking to commoners.” Tsukishima snickered, before Yamaguchi interrupted.

“That could also be because you tried to poke and prod him to talk and ended up pissing him off.” The green haired male responded with a pained look on his face, Yachi giggling beside him.

“Yeah, well, I hate baseless arrogance.” Tsukishima said hotly before turning back to his book, evidently done with the conversation.

“I don’t know, we started off on the wrong foot yesterday, but I don’t really think he wants to talk with me. Maybe he just doesn’t like people.” Hinata interjected, playing with his shoelace as he thought back to the awkward conversation he’d had with Kageyama the night before.

He spent another hour or so talking with his dorm mates before his stomach rumbled loudly, his face flushing with embarrassment as everyone turned to look at him, holding back their laughs. Noya and Tanaka were the exceptions, cackling as they pointed towards him.

“Sounds like you need some food!” Noya cackled as Hinata stood up from his beanbag chair ungracefully, grabbing his bag as he chuckled and smiled sheepishly at the group.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’ll see you guys later?” He asked, smiling at the miscellaneous “yeah, see you’s!” and waves he got from the group as he left to go to the cafeteria.

* * *

By the time he got back to his room, Kageyama was at work on his laptop again, writing notes from class slides.

Hinata pulled all of his courage before speaking.

“H-Hey, have you had dinner yet?” He questioned, grimacing at the stutter in his voice. _Nice one Hinata, not cool at all_. He thought to himself in embarrassment.

Kageyama only startled from his writing, turning to look at Hinata with slightly widened eyes before his brows pierced in annoyance. He must have been so focused that he didn’t even hear Hinata enter the room.

“Yeah, why?” He ground out, irritation evident in his voice.

Hinata just sighed, watching Kageyama in amazement. How someone could be so brash and rude all the time amazed him. _It must take a lot of energy to be that much of an asshole_ , he thought to himself with a smirk.

“I was just wondering…” He started, watching as Kageyama tapped his pen on the desk impatiently. “It’s only the first day, right? You already have a lot of homework?” He questioned at last, watching as Kageyama’s brows wrinkled even further, the corners of his lips turning downward as he just grunted and turned around, starting to write his notes again.

Hinata could only stare at him, teeth clenching as he resisted the urge to yell at his roommate. _I just want to be friends with you, you asshole!_ He shouted in his mind, exhaling in frustration as he forcefully grabbed a change of clothes and went to have a shower.

* * *

Almost a week passed like this, with Kageyama having already left once Hinata woke up. Except now Hinata had set an alarm to wake up a bit earlier so he could get to his classes on time, which meant he also missed Kageyama when he returned from whatever it was he did in the mornings.

The only times they saw each other were in the evenings, and despite Hinata’s best attempts at making conversation, Kageyama would say little more than a few words to him before cutting the conversation short. It occurred to Hinata that he still didn’t even know what Kageyama was taking for his major.

One night, Yachi and Hinata sat alone in the living area, writing notes on their lectures before Hinata sighed dramatically, tossing his pencil on the table in front of him and reclining on the couch.

“Everything okay?” She questioned softly, turning to look at him with worry in her brows. “Are you having trouble with your classes?”

“No, it’s not that,” Hinata started, sighing as he rubbed a hand against his eyes. “It’s Kageyama. It’s so awkward between us. I keep trying to make conversation with him, but he always shuts me down. I don’t know what to do anymore!” He finished agitatedly, sitting up and looking at Yachi pleadingly. “What do you think I should do? Have you talked to him before?”

“No, I haven’t…” She responded quietly, a thoughtful look on her face as she tapped her pen against her chin. “But I don’t get the feeling that he’s a bad person. He might just be really bad at making friends.” She finished, chuckling a little at the dumbfounded look Hinata had on his face.

“I don’t know… normally someone who wants to make friends doesn’t shut down the opportunity at conversation every time it comes up.” Hinata responded, thinking about Kageyama’s curt responses and angry face.

“H-have you tried talking to him about what he likes? Or tried to find something out about him?” Yachi questioned, looking at him with curious eyes.

“No, I guess not. I’ve mostly just asked him general questions or made stupid remarks about school…” Hinata answered honestly, smiling sheepishly at Yachi’s giggle. “Maybe I’ll try that. Thanks Yachi, you’re a lifesaver!” He responded, raising his arms and high-fiving her animatedly.

“W-well, I haven’t done anything yet. Just let me know how it goes!” She said, giving Hinata a thumbs up as he started packing up his things.

* * *

The next morning Hinata woke up early, busying himself with small tasks like actually making his bed or choosing a fun outfit for the day (he chose a red t-shirt with a bright yellow star on it and a pair of light brown shorts), anything to keep his mind off of the nervousness he was feeling. He was going to confront Kageyama today, he’d promised himself.

He was torn out of his thoughts at the sound of the door opening, almost dropping the pillow he had in his hand before he sighed to calm himself down, placing the pillow down and sitting on the bed, staring pointedly at the doorway.

Kageyama walked in, panting and damp with sweat as usual, pulling his headphones out as he turned to close the door. Hinata was momentarily taken aback by the sight, as this was the first time he felt confident enough to actually watch the other male openly. His hair was wet and slicked against his face, cheeks red from exertion. From what Hinata could see, he was wearing a pair of black athletic shorts and a white jacket. He was… really attractive, actually.

Hinata flushed and shook his head quickly, exhaling to calm his rampaging thoughts and raging heart.

“Good morning!” He said loudly, the words coming out a hundred times more confident than he was feeling on the inside.

Kageyama jumped slightly in the doorway, head raising and blue eyes falling on Hinata’s own brown orbs. He just stared at Hinata, a surprised look on his face as he held his headphones in his hand dumbly.

“M-morning…” He replied quietly, grimacing at his own stutter as he forced his body to move, walking in and sitting down on his bed to face Hinata.

It took Hinata only a few moments to regain his composure, his happiness soaring at the fact Kageyama even bothered to respond to his greeting. Hinata flashed him a wide smile before continuing, not noticing the light flush that dusted Kageyama’s cheeks as he looked away from the blinding grin.

“I feel like we got off on the wrong foot.” Hinata started, feeling more confident as he watched Kageyama turn back to look at him. “Maybe it’s because you act like you always have a stick up your butt-”

“What’re you-” Kageyama tried to interrupt, his brows twitching as his face contorted into a frown, but Hinata raised a hand to shush him.

“BUT! We’re roommates now, and it’s probably important for us to get to know each other, and I know I probably haven’t been going about it the best way, but-” he rambled, a flush raising on his cheeks as he tried to calm himself down. “I want to be your friend!” He finished with a shaky exhale, rubbing the back of his neck as he stared at Kageyama expectantly.

Kageyama just stared at him stupidly, and it frustrated Hinata to no end that he couldn’t read the emotions on his roommates face. Was he angry? Happy? Had he even listened to what Hinata had said?

“Okay...” Kageyama replied cautiously, taking the headphones out of his phone and placing them on the desk beside him, facing Hinata again.

“Okay?” Hinata questioned stupidly before shaking his head and adding “Okay! Okay. My name is Hinata, Hinata Shouyou.”

“I know that.” Kageyama replied, brows creasing again in annoyance.

Hinata rolled his eyes and offered his hand for Kageyama to shake. “What’s your name?” He questioned, and he could see the cogs turning as Kageyama caught on to what he was trying to do.

“Kageyama Tobio.” Kageyama replied, hesitating before reaching his own hand out to shake Hinata’s. The touch was short-lived and curt, but all Hinata could think about was how incredibly soft and warm Kageyama’s hands felt in his own, and he had to look away to suppress the flush that threatened to rise on his cheeks. Now was _not_ the time to think about his stupid roommate’s warm hands.

“It’s nice to meet you!” He said enthusiastically, flashing Kageyama another bright smile. Kageyama just looked away again before responding.

“N-nice… nice to meet you, too.” He responded quietly, flushing in embarrassment for the second time at his stutter.

_Cuuuuute!_ Hinata squealed internally, heart fluttering at the soft reply.

“Sooo, where do you always go in the mornings? Do you have sports practice or something?” Hinata questioned casually, sitting back to lean against the wall as he watched Kageyama get up and busy himself with packing his backpack.

“I run.” He responded shortly, before sighing and continuing. “There’s a paved path that follows the edges of campus and runs along the river. It’s a good route.”

Hinata’s eyebrows raised at both Kageyama’s long reply and the contents of it. Now it made sense why Kageyama always came back sweaty and out of breath, especially after having to go up the stairs to their floor after running such a long way.

“Oh, awesome! I used to run all the time in highschool. It’s what kept me in shape for volleyball.” Hinata responded absentmindedly as he turned to look at the ceiling, unaware of the flash of interest in Kageyama’s eyes as the black-haired male turned to look at him. “But it’s been a few months since I last ran, and I only arrived here recently so I don’t know the area well. C-can I join you sometime?” He finished, biting his bottom lip as he looked back towards Kageyama.

Had he been too forward?

“Sure.” Kageyama responded after a few moments, “We can go tomorrow, if you want?” He finished, looking away from Hinata again as if he were nervous to hear the answer. Hinata’s heart soared for the umpteenth time that morning as he nodded eagerly.

“Sure!” Hinata responded happily, watching as Kageyama pulled some clothes out of his drawer and started heading for the shower.

“Okay.” Came the short reply.

“Okay!” Hinata said back stupidly, internally cringing as he listened to the sound of the bathroom door close behind Kageyama, and the sound of the shower turning on.

The day passed quickly after that. He couldn’t pay attention in any of his classes because all he could think about were his and Kageyama’s plans for the next morning. He’d excitedly texted Kenma the news, and all he got back was a single thumbs-up emoji, but it still put a smile on his face.

* * *

The next morning, Hinata was abruptly woken up from his dream by the feeling of something hitting him roughly in the face.

“Guhh…” He mumbled into the fabric, hands coming up to grasp the offending object. It was… a pillow? “What?” He questioned, cracking open his dreary eyes to see an angry-looking Kageyama staring at him from across the room.

“I tried calling your name like ten times but you wouldn’t wake up.” He said curtly, arms crossed on his chest. Hinata sat up slowly and stretched, arching his back and yawning loudly. He was too tired to notice Kageyama’s eyes following the movements. “We don’t have much time, so hurry up and get ready. And… put on a shirt, idiot.” He finished hotly, turning to lay down on his own bed and looking at his phone.

Hinata’s face flushed brightly in embarrassment as he scrambled out of bed, almost tripping on his bed sheets as he did so. He fumbled through his drawer for clothing and threw Kageyama’s pillow back towards him half-heartedly as he stumbled into the bathroom.

“Ew, dumbass, you got drool on my pillow!” He heard Kageyama yell from behind the door, and Hinata snickered to himself.

* * *

Neither of them spoke until they reached the beginning of the pathway and began jogging. Kageyama wasn’t listening to music this time, but he seemed content to walk in silence, and Hinata was too tired to make conversation.

Hinata exhaled, breath puffing in small clouds in front of him as the first twinges of daylight cast soft light on the horizon.

They ran like that for a few minutes, before Hinata got tired of the pace and sped himself up a little. Immediately, Kageyama responded in kind and sped up a little on his own. A smirk crossed Hinata’s face as he sped up a little more, hearing Kageyama grunt in irritation. Soon, the two of them were booking it at full speed, the sound of their feet hitting the ground at rapid paces echoing around the pathway. They ran for _ages_ , neither of them saying anything, but both of them upping their speed the tiniest bit whenever they had enough energy.

Hinata sped to a stop as they neared the river, panting loudly and letting out a loud laugh as he grasped the wooden fencing that lined the river in front of him. His ears were red from the chilly morning air, a wide smile on his face as he turned to look at Kageyama.

“I win!” He said loudly, pointing at himself and laughing some more. Kageyama didn’t respond immediately, eyes trained on Hinata’s smiling face. He flushed a little, rubbing some sweat from his brow with the wrist of his shirt as he looked away from Hinata.

“Idiot. If I knew we were going to stop here I would have beaten you easily.” He responded in an irritated tone, looking at Hinata with a pointed glare. Hinata just laughed more.

“Okay, well, next time we’ll stop here and I’ll beat you again!” He responded confidently, flashing another smile at Kageyama before he turned to look at the river. He didn’t notice the implication of his words.

The sight of the river took his breath away. The morning light cast oranges and yellows on the trees that lined the river, the water calm and reflecting the colours in kind. He could see the taller buildings of the inner-city silhouetted against the morning sky. “Wow…” He said to no-one in particular, watching as the world woke up. He felt more than saw Kageyama come to stand beside him, resting his own hands on the railing as he sighed, catching his breath.

“Yeah,” Kageyama responded, watching as the sun began to peek from the tops of the trees. “When I first got here, I didn’t know where any paths were, so I just started running. I found this by chance on my first day.” He finished, his eyes trained on the rising sun.

Hinata glanced up at Kageyama, watching as the morning light reflected off of his damp skin. His heart hammered in his chest as he quickly looked away, bringing his hands up to his mouth to warm them up (definitely not as a distraction). This was the first time he’d been so physically close to his roommate; let alone it also being one of the first times he saw Kageyama being so open with him.

“So, what are you even taking?” Hinata asked, glancing up at Kageyama as the taller male turned to look at him.

“I’m in engineering.” Kageyama responded, brows bunching together as his calm demeanour became tense once again.

“Oh, that makes sense then. I’ve been wondering why you’re always doing so much schoolwork. It’s only the first week of the year!” Hinata responded in understanding.

“Yeah.” Kageyama responded curtly, turning and stretching a little in preparation to begin running again. Hinata didn’t know what he said wrong, but he could tell that Kageyama was done with the conversation. He sighed in defeat, removing himself from the railing as he started jogging beside Kageyama, the two of them falling into a regular pace as they finished their run without another word.

* * *

Once they reached the dormitory building, it only took one sneaky glance from Hinata before they were both running up the stairs, shoving each other back and forth as they tried to pass one another at each flight. They burst through the door at the same time, panting with their hands on their knees.

“I won!” Hinata said proudly, before Kageyama interjected.

“No, I won, dumbass!” Kageyama yelled back, sending Hinata a pointed glare as his brows furrowed.

An awkward cough broke their argument as both Hinata and Kageyama turned to look into the living area, where almost all the first and second years were huddled around the table, now staring openly at the two of them.

“U-uh…” Yachi started, a flush on her cheeks as she broke the silence.

“Hey guys! We’re starting a group chat, and you’re the only two we’re missing! Come here and give me your contact info!” Tanaka yelled from across the room, beckoning them over and breaking the awkward pace.

“I don’t-” Kageyama started, before Hinata shot him a glare and mustered all of the confidence he could, grabbing Kageyama by the arm and dragging him over to the table. He tried his best to ignore the feeling of Kageyama’s muscles tensing underneath his grip.

“Sounds like fun!” Hinata said, deciding not to look at Kageyama for fear of what kind of murderous look he was surely shooting Hinata at this point.

The two added their contact information, Kageyama doing so reluctantly before he separated himself from the group, saying that he needed to get ready for class. Hinata exhaled as he watched Kageyama’s back, before turning around and shooting Yachi a thumbs-up with both hands. She simply giggled and flashed one of her own back at him, Tsukishima raising his eyebrow as he glanced between the two of them.

Things were getting better.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group goes out for dinner and an interesting topic is raised.

Hinata returned to the dorms later that afternoon, soaking wet.

It had started raining as he was walking back from classes, and he had a running habit of never checking the weather forecast, so of course he forgot to bring an umbrella. He had pulled the hood of his sweater up and drew the strings as tight as they could go while he still had room to see, but the water easily dampened the fabric and started seeping into his hair.

By the time he got back home, he was soaked. Suga had tried his best to hide his chuckle, palm over his mouth while Tanaka had simply pointed at him and cackled at his state. Hinata just rolled his eyes and walked to his room, laughing to himself at the same time.

When he opened the door he was greeted by Kageyama sitting at his desk as usual, but this time he piped up at the sound of Hinata entering, turning to look at him before he snorted, raising his eyebrows and laughing under his breath, pointing at the orange haired male.

“Pff, what the hell happened to you?” Kageyama asked openly, chuckling harder as Hinata sent him an angry pout from the doorway.

“I didn’t check the weather. Forgot my umbrella; hilarious, I know.” He responded with a roll of his eyes, smiling as he loosened the strings on his sweater finally, sliding his hood down and peeling the wet sweater from his skin. His t-shirt underneath was damp but not nearly as soaked as the sweater. At least it had protected him a little bit.

He peeked into the bathroom to get a better look at himself, and he laughed as he pointed at himself in the mirror.

“Hey, I look like you!” He stated through his giggles. His hair was wet and matted down, save for a few shorter pieces of hair that still rebelled and stuck up at odd places. He smoothed them down further with his hands and turned to Kageyama, who was looking at him with a frown on his face.

“Do not, idiot. I at least brush my hair every day.” Kageyama responded snidely, leaning back in his seat and smirking at Hinata as the orange haired male offered him another pout.

“Hey! I brush my hair too, you know.” Hinata responded, pursing his lips at Kageyama. The latter only raised an eyebrow in question, as if he didn’t believe him. “Whatever, I’m going to shower now.” He finished, shutting the door before he quickly opened it, a flush on his face as he rushed to grab the towel he forgot, pointedly ignoring Kageyama snickering from his desk.

He shut the door behind him, sighing as he peeled his dampened t-shirt off, staring at himself in the mirror. He poked at his arms, watching as the muscles tensed underneath his touch. He had always been in good physical shape- living in a small town in the mountains would do that to you, when you had to bike or run to get anywhere in decent time unless you had a car. Volleyball had also kept him in top shape, but it had been a few months since he’d played, and how exhausted he was after his run with Kageyama that morning had reminded him just how important it was to keep active.

It amazed Hinata that Kageyama ran every single morning, especially on top of all of the work he did for school. Obviously, he was in good physical shape. Hinata thought about this, wondering idly if he was simply slim or if he was toned- muscles standing out against his pale skin, before his eyes widened and he slapped his face with both hands, pushing his cheeks together as he eyed himself in the mirror. _Why are you even thinking about his stupid body, you idiot_! He thought afterwards before he groaned and turned towards the ceiling, crushing his eyes shut.

As he stepped into the shower and felt the warm drops pelting his skin, he sighed and closed his eyes, letting his thoughts be taken away by the water. He was just curious- purely for athletic reasons, right?

* * *

The next morning, Hinata was rudely dragged from the depths of sleep as his alarm blared. He groaned, slapping his phone to shut the noise off, but instead it fell to the floor with the alarm still ringing loudly.

“Aghhh, shut up!” He yelled into the pillow he had pulled over his face, before using all the energy he could muster to sit up and grab his phone to shut the alarm off. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, opening them only to be greeted by the sight of Kageyama staring at him from his own bed as he sat against the wall, looking up from his phone.

“Ah- oh,” Hinata started, before an embarrassed flush rose on his cheeks. Kageyama only raised an eyebrow at him, still staring. “G-good morning. You’re not running today?” He added, before realizing he was sitting there groggy and shirtless. He reached to grab a shirt, pulling it over his head as his flush grew.

Kageyama was normally never there in the mornings, so he never saw a reason to actually start wearing a shirt to sleep. He had never actually considered a day where the black-haired male wouldn’t be out by the time he woke up.

“Morning. Are you always this much of a mess in the mornings?” Kageyama questioned lightly, snorting at Hinata’s responding squeal.

“What? I- Wait-” Hinata started, groaning as his sleep fogged brain tried to form a proper sentence. “Whatever, I’m sure you’re not perfect in the mornings either.” He finished, chuckling as he watched Kageyama’s brows pinch.

“I’m always perfect.” He responded casually before continuing, “And I’m not running today because it’s still raining. You’d be stupid to run in that unless you wanted to catch a cold.” He finished, pointing towards their window, which sure enough, was being pelted relentlessly by raindrops.

Hinata rolled his eyes and got up from his bed unwillingly, getting ready for the day.

“Hey, dumbass,” Kageyama’s voice stopped him as he was about to leave. “Don’t forget your umbrella.”

Hinata just stared, following Kageyama’s pointed finger to the offending object on the bed, before he grabbed it and sent a half-hearted glare Kageyama’s way, muttering a soft “thanks” as yet another embarrassed flush rose to his ears.

* * *

When he returned later that evening, Kageyama was working away at his desk as usual, so Hinata decided he’d try to get some work done as well. If Kageyama’s constant studying were to influence him to do anything, at least he should do something positive like work on his own grades.

They worked for a couple of hours like that, in silence, before Hinata tossed his pencil down and groaned loudly, stretching his arms out before letting his head fall backwards. His eyes were met with an upside-down Kageyama’s curious ones, widened in surprise at the sudden noise Hinata had made. He lifted his head up and turned to straddle the chair backwards, arms resting on the top of the chair as he looked at Kageyama.

“How do you work for so long all the time? It’s so boooooring.” He said with an outward breath, resting his chin on his arms. Kageyama just rolled his eyes as his brows pinched in annoyance.

“Nobody said it was fun.” He responded quietly, before both of their phones lit up with a notification. Hinata turned back around to look at his phone.

“Have you eaten yet? Tanaka said he wants us all to go for dinner.” Hinata questioned, still facing the desk. When there was no response, he turned around again to see Kageyama staring dumbly at his phone, as if he were in deep thought. “Hellooo?” He asked, waving a hand towards Kageyama. That seemed to get his attention, as he set his phone down and sighed.

“No, but I-” Kageyama started before Hinata shushed him loudly, smiling as he stood up and stared down at Kageyama with his arms on his hips.

“Great! Then I’ll tell them we’ll go.” Hinata said happily, before Kageyama’s piercing frown pulled him from his confidence.

“What if I don’t want to go? Don’t just sign me up for things, dumbass.” Kageyama responded curtly, scowling at Hinata.

“I-I’m sorry, I just-” He started, eyes wide as he realized how forward he’d been, before he took a deep breath and looked at Kageyama pointedly. “Look, I’m sorry for assuming. You’re just always so holed up in here working and you haven’t spoken to anyone else on the floor and you deserve to have some time off with friends.” He finished, eyes softening as he saw Kageyama’s deep frown lessen a bit. It took him a few seconds to respond, Hinata fidgeting nervously where he stood.

“Fine.” Kageyama responded with a huff before he stood up and grabbed his jacket, looking away from Hinata when the orange haired male flashed a blinding smile towards him.

The two left their room together, meeting Yachi and Yamaguchi in the living area as they waited.

“U-uhm!” Yachi stuttered, standing up from the couch she was sitting on and walking towards the two of them.

“Hello. Yachi, right?” Kageyama said towards her, and Yachi stopped in her tracks as a deep flush spread across her face and up to her ears. Even Hinata turned to look up at Kageyama with wide eyes.

So, he _did_ pay attention to the people on the floor.

“Y-yes! It’s a pleasure to meet you! Hinata’s told me a lot about you but-” Yachi started, before the sound of Hinata choking on air beside them stopped her, his pleading eyes only making her chuckle. “But it’s awesome to finally get to talk to you!” She finished with a smile, reaching out to shake Kageyama’s hand. Kageyama’s eyes were raised in slight surprise as he glanced at Hinata, before he turned to Yachi, nodding and shaking her hand.

“Oh hey, look at that! He’s finally come out to play!” Came Tanaka’s booming voice as he entered the living area, closely followed by Noya and Tsukishima. Kageyama’s eyes narrowed as he saw Tsukishima, the latter only rolling his eyes and smirking, which made Kageyama scowl unhappily.

Hinata grinned as Tanaka and Noya came up behind Kageyama, both of them slapping him on the back enthusiastically as he awkwardly gave his greetings.

* * *

They reached the restaurant in quick time, taking some of the inner passageways on campus to stop them from having to go out into the rain. It was a quaint little restaurant with wooden walls and wooden floors, plants hanging from the ceiling and multiple shelves.

They sat together at a large table, Hinata taking one seat beside Kageyama while Yachi took the other. Kageyama turned to pass him the menu, Hinata grinning brightly as he thanked him. None of them spoke much while they were looking at their menus, before Yachi’s excited voice broke the silence.

“Look! They’re playing volleyball on the TV! I love watching volleyball, but I don’t know much about it.” She said earnestly, pointing towards a large TV that sat on one of the walls. Hinata startled as he saw Kageyama’s head snap up quickly, following her fingers as he watched the TV intently.

“I don’t know much about volleyball either, but it seems pretty cool. That one guy there-” Yamaguchi started, pointing towards the screen. “The one that passed the ball to the guy that hit it, what’s his position?” He finished, turning to look at everyone for a response. The table was silent for a few moments, Hinata opening his mouth to start to explain it before Kageyama’s voice spoke up and broke the silence.

“The setter.” He started, brows pinching as everyone’s eyes turned to look at him. Hinata just stared up at him dumbly as he watched Kageyama speak. “He’s called a setter. It’s a position that requires a lot of skill. It’s not flashy, but the setter controls the team and the team’s plays. They can completely change the course of a game.” He finished, eyes sparkling as he turned to look at the TV again.

“So, the King _can_ talk.” Tsukishima said snidely from across the table, Kageyama’s eyes narrowing immediately into a glare as he stared at the blond male. Yamaguchi looked at Tsukishima with a pained look before replying.

“Thanks, I had no idea.” He said calmly, offering Kageyama a small smile. Kageyama just nodded and turned to stare at the glass of water in front of him, glaring at it instead.

“Ohoho!” Noya butted in, leaning across the table to point at Kageyama. “Do you play volleyball?” He questioned.

“I used to.” Kageyama replied curtly, grinding his teeth together as he kept his eyes downward, evidently not wanting to continue. Hinata watched Kageyama warily before piping up.

“I used to play in highschool! I was a middle blocker, I loved it. I practiced every single day.” He said wistfully, sighing as he glanced up at the ceiling. He felt Kageyama’s intense stare from his side, but before he could turn to meet it, Tsukishima spoke up.

“ _You_ were a middle blocker?” Tsukishima interrupted; eyebrows raised as he stared at Hinata questioningly.

“Wait, just how many of you know about volleyball?” Tanaka spoke up, cackling as he grabbed at his stomach. Hinata’s tension at Tsukishima’s comment eased as he chuckled along with Tanaka before responding.

“Yes, _me_. Don’t underestimate me just because of my height. I can fly, you know!” Hinata finished confidently, pointing his thumb at himself with a proud grin before Tsukishima snorted and turned to look at his menu, obviously not believing him. Kageyama was still watching him, so Hinata finally turned to meet his eyes.

Immediately a flush rose on his cheeks as his brown orbs met Kageyama’s blue. He’d never seen Kageyama look so intently at something, and the thought that the other male was looking like that at _him_ sent a shiver up his spine. He coughed lightly and looked away, and that seemed to bring Kageyama out of his trance, too, as he just turned to stare at his drink again.

“So, why don’t you play anymore?” Tanaka questioned honestly. “I mean, if you loved it so much.” He added as an afterthought.

“Oh, I’m from a small town, so our volleyball team was really small and honestly not that strong.” He replied, snickering as he thought back to his team. They were all great guys and good friends, but none of them except for Hinata really had the skill to help them win any competitions. Tanaka just nodded understandingly.

He’d even briefly considered transferring schools to play on Kuroo and Kenma’s team because he loved playing so much, but he wasn’t nearly old enough or experienced enough to live on his own at that age. Kuroo and Kenma had gone to an inner-city school, which meant that Hinata would have to upheave his life early and leave his family. It wasn’t until college that he felt prepared enough to finally move.

The rest of the dinner passed quite quickly, most of the group devouring their food as soon as it hit the table. Among them eating and chatting amicably, Kageyama barely said another word.

* * *

When they returned to the dorms, stomachs full and hearts happy, Hinata jumped straight for his bed, flopping down on it ungracefully. He sat up with a chuckle, wrapping his blanket around his shoulders as he watched Kageyama setting his stuff down.

“I saw your volleyball on the desk the day I moved in,” Hinata said softly, wincing as he saw Kageyama visibly tense while he was unpacking his things.

He didn’t want to push his roommate, but he had seen the ferocious interest in Kageyama’s eyes while they discussed the sport, and he found himself wanting to see more of it. Kageyama was often so expressionless that he had trouble figuring out what he was thinking. Plus, the thought of finding a friend other than Kenma and Kuroo at their school that played volleyball made his heart race. “How long did you play for?”

Kageyama just stopped in the middle of putting his things away, setting his textbook on the desk as he sat silently for what felt like minutes. Hinata watched his back, frowning as he worried that he’d pushed Kageyama too far. Soon enough, Kageyama sighed frustratedly before sitting down on his bed, back against the wall to face Hinata.

“Since the beginning of middle school.” Kageyama said quietly, looking down and picking at his blanket as he thought to himself, face impassive. “I played all the way up until halfway through my last year of highschool.” He finished, pulling his knees up to his chest and resting his arms on them. Hinata just stared at him, dumbfounded. He’d played for _that_ long?

“Then… why did you stop?” Hinata found himself asking before he could think, and he flinched as he saw Kageyama’s grimace. He felt the blanket sliding off of his shoulders as he sat forward to listen to his response, keeping quiet.

“I tore a ligament in my knee at the national’s qualifier. I had to get surgery for it. I was out for a few months, and they told me if I went back to playing sports regularly, I’d likely reinjure my leg again, so I couldn’t play on the volleyball team anymore. It hurt too much to think about, so I haven’t played volleyball since, not even for fun or on my own.” Kageyama answered honestly, staring dejectedly at his knee.

Hinata inhaled sharply, eyes widening as he listened to Kageyama talk. Nationals qualifier?

_He played for a team that almost made it to nationals_? Hinata thought to himself incredulously, not able to hide the amazement from shining in his eyes as he watched Kageyama intently. His heart stuttered as he listened to Kageyama recount the injury, emotion lacing his bones as he imagined what that would have felt like. Losing the ability to do what you loved, possibly forever.

“I’m… I’m so sorry,” Hinata said quietly, staring at the ground as he couldn’t meet Kageyama’s eyes. He wanted to fix it for him, say something, anything that would take this feeling out of his chest, but he couldn’t think of anything.

“Don’t be. It can’t be changed now.” Kageyama said curtly, relaxing his legs and staring at Hinata openly.

“What position did you play?” Hinata questioned, head tilting as he tried to turn the conversation to a more positive note.

“Setter.” Kageyama responded, and it immediately made sense to Hinata why the other had been so quick to openly talk during dinner about Yamaguchi’s question. He smiled as he thought back to the enthusiasm he saw in Kageyama’s eyes and heard in his voice as he talked about his position. He wanted- no, needed Kageyama to feel more of that again.

“Hey, Kageyama…” Hinata started, biting his lip as he stared at the ground in front of him, unable to meet Kageyama’s eyes. The sound of the rain pelting their window was almost deafening in his ears as he prepared to ask his question, heart thumping in his chest. “Would… would you toss to me sometime?” He finished with an exhale, raising his head slowly and meeting Kageyama’s eyes.

He was expecting anger, dejection, sadness- some sort of immediate response that would tell Hinata how stupid he was for even asking, for pushing. Instead, Kageyama was staring at him with wide eyes, mouth hanging open slightly, before the smallest smile appeared on his face.

Hinata was sure his heart stopped beating in that moment, and he had to use every ounce of self-control to focus on Kageyama’s response, his eyes trained on Kageyama’s smiling face.

“Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than I'd intended, but I didn't want to cram anything unnecessary into it because I think it turned out nicely! Thanks to everyone who has sent kudos/bookmarked this fic, and to user sweetnshort for the first (and sweetest) comment on this fic! I love to hear what you guys think :) it helps me know if I'm writing something people will enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rain stops, and Kageyama's finally ready.

After that evening, it had continued to rain for over a week, the low clouds dark and grey as they moved slowly across the sky. Autumn was in full swing, so it was to be expected that they’d receive a lot of rain, but to have it for this long was draining on everyone. He and Kageyama hadn’t gone running, and he’d been holed up in the dorms almost all day, every day, attempting to at least be productive with his schoolwork.

Hinata sighed, head resting in his hands as he stared out of the common area’s large window. He sat on a patch sofa, trying his hardest to focus on the schoolwork in front of him, but he’d read the same page a dozen times now and still- none of the words were registering in his brain.

“That’s the 6th time you’ve sighed now, what’s up with you?” Tsukishima’s irritated voice came from beside him, his eyes still trained on the book he was reading. Hinata’s eyebrows raised as he turned to look towards the other male, taking a second to think about his words.

“Tsukishima’s right, everything okay?” Suga interjected from across the room, head resting on the arm of the couch he was laid out on, legs hung across Daichi’s as the other male worked on his computer on the other side of the couch. Hinata flushed lightly in embarrassment as he removed his head from his hands, laying to rest his chin on the table in front of him.

“I’m sorry! It’s just this rain-” he sighed again, before glaring pointedly at Tsukishima’s quiet “oh my god” from beside him. “I like rain, but when it lasts for this long my brain goes all fuzzy and everything’s just grey. I miss the sun.” He finished with a little pout, staring longingly again out the window. He heard Suga chuckling lightly from across the room.

“You really are a sunshine child.” Suga responded lightly after he finished laughing, eyes sparkling as he watched Hinata. “But I get it, it’s getting to me, too. Hopefully it clears up soon!” He finished, flashing Hinata a thumbs-up and a small grin. Daichi just nodded in agreement, not looking up from his computer.

_Yeah… Hopefully._ Hinata thought to himself, raising his chin and trying for the thirteenth time to read the paper in front of him. After only a few more minutes he gave up, shutting his notebook dramatically as he pulled out his phone. He and Kenma had made plans to hang out the next day, and it was really the only thing keeping his motivation up.

The rest of the day passed slowly like that, minutes feeling like hours before Hinata threw himself on the bed, curling up in his blankets and letting himself be taken by the grips of sleep.

* * *

“-nata…”

_What?_

“Dumbass.”

_Is someone speaking to me?_ Hinata thought to himself, the edges of his dream disappearing from his brain as his body started to register the voice he was hearing.

“Hinata!” It yelled, and the sound was close enough to his face that Hinata’s eyes shot open quickly, sleep-blurred vision meeting a tall, black mass that stood over him menacingly.

“Ahh!! What the hell?” He squealed, scrambling to a sitting position and shooting his hands out in front of him in a feeble attempt to stop the intruder, scrunching his eyes shut. It was silent for a few moments before Hinata dropped his hands and slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was met with Kageyama standing near his bed, irritation written all over his face as he glared down at Hinata, hands on his hips. “What are you doing?? You scared the shit out of me!!” He finished frustratedly, sighing as he rubbed a hand against his tired eyes.

“It’s not my fault you sleep like a fucking rock.” Kageyama’s responded curtly, exhaling shortly as he continued to watch Hinata.

“Have you ever tried waking someone up _nicely_?” He questioned, eyebrows scrunching as Kageyama just stared back at him dumbly.

“That _was_ nice, I was just calling your name.” Kageyama responded, brows furrowing like he didn’t understand Hinata’s question. Hinata just sighed and rolled his eyes, pointing up towards the other male.

“Standing over someone menacingly while they sleep and yelling at them isn’t _nice_!!!” He screeched, before snorting lightly as he saw a light flush dusting Kageyama’s cheeks as he turned to look away from Hinata.

“Whatever, dumbass. Look.” He said softly, pointing towards the window. Hinata followed his hand, eyes widening as he stared out, the twilight morning sky staring back at him clearly. Hinata felt his heart start to race as he looked back to Kageyama, the latter’s eyes shining as he smirked.

“It stopped raining!” He said happily, a bright grin on his face.

“Yeah, so get dressed already, let’s go.” Kageyama said curtly, turning back to look at Hinata, suddenly impatient. Hinata just raised his eyebrows in question. Go? Go where?

_Oh._ Hinata thought to himself as he felt his excitement rise. Did he mean running?

“I-it’s okay?” He questioned dumbly, staring up at Kageyama from his bed. Kageyama just tilted his head in confusion, brows pinching again with irritation. It was amazing that he didn’t have wrinkles from how often he frowned.

“What? You’re the one that said it. Of course it’s okay.” Kageyama responded, before resigning himself to the fact Hinata was obviously going to take at least a few minutes to get ready, flopping down on his bed with a sigh as he pulled out his phone.

_I said it? Said what?_ Hinata thought to himself stupidly, before his brain kicked into gear, his face flushing as he remembered the confidence he had held in his voice when he had told Kageyama “next time”. He felt a smile rise on his lips as he slowly got out of bed, hastily pulling out some clothes to wear and heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

He was happy at the fact that Kageyama was fine with this becoming a regular thing, in fact, apparently he had simply expected it. He shook his head to get rid of the giddiness he felt in his body, embarrassed that such a small thing was making him this happy. He felt like Kageyama was slowly starting to let him in, like they were actually becoming friends.

Just as he finished changing and left the bathroom, though, a thought occurred to him that pulled him immediately from his happy thoughts.

“Wait…” He said quietly, taking a second to gather his thoughts. Kageyama just stared at him with a questioning look from his bed, having sat up as he saw Hinata come out. “Your injury… Why do you run so much if you’re still recovering from your injury?” He questioned honestly, wringing his jacket in his hands nervously as he watched Kageyama tense. The silence in the air felt heavy, and Hinata shifted from foot to foot to distract himself.

“I can still run.” Kageyama responded afterwards, before rolling his eyes at Hinata’s confused stare. “The doctors told me I just needed to stay away from regular sport. I can’t play volleyball on a team anymore because the amount of practice it takes would be too much on my body. It’s fine if I run in the mornings… as long as I wear my brace.” He finished; the last part almost too quiet for Hinata to hear.

“Your… brace?” He asked stupidly, eyeing Kageyama warily. He’d never seen Kageyama wear a brace before.

Kageyama just sighed in frustration, getting up and shoving his drawer open, pulling a black knee brace out. He tossed it on the bed, glaring at it pointedly.

“Why don’t you wear it?” Hinata questioned, eyes following Kageyama’s movements as he stared at the brace laying on the bed. If the doctors had told him to wear it, it must be pretty important, right?

“I don’t like the way it feels. It makes me feel like I have a weighted ball around my ankle. It’s a constant reminder of my failure.” Kageyama responded curtly, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly as if he hadn’t said something serious at all. Hinata just stared at him with a dumbfounded look, before he sighed exasperatedly, stalking over to Kageyama’s bed and picking up the brace, holding it out in front of the other male.

Hinata felt his frustration rising as he stared at Kageyama, the nonchalant look in the latter’s eyes making him feel even more frustrated. Kageyama could be so unbelievably dense sometimes that it really pissed Hinata off. He felt himself sigh before he responded, trying to calm himself down.

“I can’t believe you. You didn’t fail anything. You’re still you, you can still do everything you did before, you great idiot.” Hinata started, rolling his eyes as Kageyama glared at him, the corners of his lips turning downward. “If you don’t wear this, your injury _will_ get worse and then you really will be a failure. You won’t be able to stay active, you won’t be able to run anymore… and you won’t be able to toss to me. Don’t just say stuff like that so nonchalantly!” Hinata finished, trailing off at the last sentence as he stared up at Kageyama pleadingly. He didn’t want to piss Kageyama off more than he evidently already was, but he had to get the point across somehow.

Kageyama stayed silent for a few moments, blue eyes staring so intensely into his own that Hinata almost started to feel uncomfortable, before he grunted and grabbed the brace out of Hinata’s waiting hands roughly, sitting down on his bed and putting it on.

“Let’s go.” Kageyama said shortly, ignoring the bright grin Hinata sent his way as they left their room together.

* * *

The cool morning air felt like heaven on his skin, the twilight sky casting blue across his skin as he shot his arms out beside him, inhaling deeply. Kageyama only watched from beside him, his eyes shining as they started to run. It felt so good to be back.

They raced each other to the river, Hinata groaning loudly in frustration as Kageyama hit the wooden railing only milliseconds before he did.

“That was no fair! You got a false start!” He accused loudly, pointing a finger at the taller male. Kageyama just wiped his brow as he took a second to catch his breath.

“Did not… idiot,” Kageyama said between breaths, standing up tall and looking down at Hinata with a proud grin. Hinata shuddered as his eyes met Kageyama’s, wiping his hands on his thighs. God, Kageyama’s smile was scary.

_No, wait, I’ve also seen him smile all sweet like!_ He thought to himself before he flushed, shaking his head and groaning lightly as Kageyama just stared at him like he was losing his mind, one eyebrow raised.

“That makes us 1-1.” Kageyama added after a few moments, smirking as he stretched a little before starting to jog again, Hinata following quickly.

The sun shone brightly as it rose, the dew drops on the trees and grass surrounding the path reflecting its rays as they ran, and Hinata smiled to himself as he glanced at Kageyama running beside him. They finished their run without saying much else, both content to enjoy the silence.

* * *

When it hit lunch time, Hinata had booked it to a hill just outside of campus, tossing his bag down and flopping backwards onto his back, eyes closed as he listened to music through his headphones. He could sit for ages here, watching the students passing below, and it had a great view of the river. He’d made a habit of coming here regularly since the beginning of the year, but the rain had stopped him from being outside.

The bottom of his jeans were starting to get damp from laying on the wet grass, but he didn’t mind. He felt the sun’s warm ways on his skin and he sighed happily to himself, before his peaceful moment was abruptly interrupted by someone kicking him lightly in the ankle.

He opened his eyes suddenly, sitting up in surprise. The glare from the sun was bright, so it took him a moment to register Kenma’s smirking face looking down at him. Immediately a bright smile appeared on his lips as he stood up, tackling Kenma to the ground in a hug.

“Kenmaaaaa! I feel like it’s been years since I’ve seen you!” Hinata said through a laugh as he removed his limbs, Kenma adjusting so they were sitting beside one another, setting his bag down beside Hinata’s.

“It’s only been a few weeks, Shouyou.” Kenma responded quietly, but Hinata could see the small smile that was on his lips. “Do you want to come study tonight with Kuroo, me, Bokuto, and Akaashi?” Kenma questioned afterwards, head tilting as he turned to look at Hinata.

Hinata just flashed him a bright smile, nodding earnestly.

“Please! I barely left the dorms when it was raining, I want to be outside as much as possible.” He responded sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he flopped down on his back again.

“Speaking of which, how are things with your roommate?” Kenma asked from beside him. Hinata immediately perked up, a smile stretching on his face as he thought about his roommate.

“Kageyama? Well…” He started, before trailing off and taking a moment to think. He thought about Kageyama’s brooding looks and his back as he studied, his curt responses and his pinched brows.

But, he also thought about his small smile and quiet words; the way he’d opened up to Hinata and been so vulnerable with him even though they barely knew each other. He thought about the way he felt when he spent time with Kageyama, how happy he felt when Kageyama spoke with him or invited him out to run, like the stress of the world around him and all of his responsibilities were fading into the background- if only for a few moments.

“He’s… he’s weird.” Hinata started again, staring at the sky as he felt Kenma’s eyes on him. “It’s like he’s so angry, all the time. Sometimes I push him and he gets really mad, but then it’s like he opens up and there’s a whole other side to him. He’s actually… he’s actually a really nice person. We’ve gone running a couple of times and he’s starting to open up to me more, I think. I like spending time with him.” He finished quietly, picking at the grass beside him as he let himself enjoy the warm feeling in his chest as he thought about Kageyama and their developing friendship.

“That’s… good,” Kenma started, and Hinata frowned slightly as he turned his head to look at the other male in slight confusion. He rarely saw Kenma unsure of what to say, and he wondered what caused it. Kenma took a few moments to respond, deep in thought. “It sounds like you guys are getting really close. I remember how stressed you were about it on your first day.” He finished calmly, flashing Hinata a small smile and a thumbs-up.

Hinata flushed beside him, chuckling softly as he thought back to the day of the entrance ceremony.

“Yeah, that day was a total mess. I honestly don’t know where we’d be right now if I hadn’t confronted him later that week. We’d probably have killed each other honestly.” Hinata responded with a smile, laughing to himself at the thought. Kenma just smirked beside him before he checked his phone, sighing slightly as he started getting up.

“Sorry, I have to get to class. We’re going to be meeting at the upper-year dorms, text me when you get there and I’ll come let you in.” Kenma said quickly, Hinata nodding in reply as he watched his friend leave.

* * *

Later that evening, Hinata found himself standing outside the upper-year dormitory building, amazement in his eyes as he stared up at the large glass windows of the entrance. The first-year dorms were _nothing_ in comparison to this building, with their worn brick walls and shitty unwashed carpets.

It only got better the farther they went in, and Hinata’s breath was literally taken away at Kuroo and Bokuto’s apartment. They didn’t just have a room; they had a whole _suite_ with a kitchen and loft with two bedrooms.

Hinata let out an amazed breath as he flopped down on their couch, Kuroo laughing as he sat down on a beanbag chair beside the table.

“Don’t be so amazed little dude, this building has a bug problem at _least_ once a year.” He said through his laughs, and Bokuto just grunted from the kitchen in agreement.

“Gross,” Hinata started, grimacing at the thought. “But I can’t imagine what sort of nasty stuff is in the first-year dorms that nobody talks about.” He finished, laughing as he caught Kuroo’s knowing stare.

“Yeah. When I lived there we took a UV light to one of the rooms just for shits and giggles, it was disgusting- you have no idea the stuff we saw-” Kuroo started, before Hinata waved his arms dramatically, plugging his ears as he yelled “STOP!!” from beside him.

Kenma just chuckled as he sat down beside Hinata, a cup of hot chocolate in his hand. Bokuto and Akaashi followed quickly afterwards, sitting on the floor on the other side of the living room table. They sat like that for a while, notebooks and textbooks filling the table as they worked on their schoolwork.

Eventually, Hinata sat back in his seat, tucking his pen behind his ear as he pulled out his phone. He could only work so long without getting bored, at which point there was no hope for the words he was trying to write or read to register in his brain.

He sighed to himself, staring at his phone in contemplation. He’d opened a private conversation with Kageyama from their group chat, his hand hovering over the ‘send’ button as he stared at the message he just wrote.

**Hinata** : _how’s studying? i know you’re studying_ (~˘▾˘)~

He’d never texted Kageyama privately before, and honestly, he didn’t even know if Kageyama liked texting at all, because he always read the messages in the group chat without ever responding. But, their interactions had been good lately and he felt like pushing his luck. He wondered idly if the face was too much, before shrugging to himself and hitting ‘send’. He’d worry about that later.

A minute later his screen lit up, and Hinata felt his heart race. He’d actually responded?

**Kageyama** : _Who is this?_

Hinata frowned at his phone for a second, before laughing to himself as he typed his reply.

**Hinata** : ಠ╭╮ಠ

**Hinata** : _i know u can see my name, nice try, asshole_

Almost immediately, Kageyama’s response came in.

**Kageyama** : _Studying_ was _fine, but now you’ve distracted me_.

Hinata chuckled again, smiling down at his phone as he responded quickly.

**Hinata** : _good, you need to stop working so much anyway_ ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

“Soooo Hinata,” Bokuto started, and Hinata jumped slightly as he was torn from his focus on the conversation, eyes widening a little as he looked up to see four pairs of eyes on him. “Who’s your girlfriend?” He finished, wiggling his eyebrows and laughing at the flush that immediately spread across Hinata’s cheeks.

“W-What?” He stuttered out, setting his phone down and shaking his head vehemently. “No girlfriend here!” He finished, waving his hands out in front of him.

“Come on, don’t be like that! I know that look.” Kuroo added from beside him, winking at Hinata which only made him flush deeper.

“What look?” He asked honestly, brows pinching as he stared down at his phone dumbly.

“Like you have heart eyes. Like you’re completely in your own world when you’re talking to them.” Bokuto said wistfully, hand on his chest as he stared upwards in faux thought. Akaashi just nodded beside him, and for some reason Akaashi’s added agreement made him feel significantly more embarrassed.

“Really- I don’t have a girlfriend! I promise!” Hinata replied strongly, exhaling in relief as Bokuto deflated, looking down with a disappointed stare. Kuroo only laughed again from beside him.

“Alright, alright.” Kuroo rescinded, smiling as he watched Hinata’s body relax. “But feel free to bring whoever’s making you smile like that next time.” He finished honestly.

Hinata just flushed deeper and shook his head slightly, rubbing his eyes with his hands. He was completely oblivious to Kenma’s silent stare.

* * *

He’d left soon after, as all five of them having used up all reserves for studying they had. The sun was sitting low in the sky, Hinata’s favourite time of day.

He opened the door to his room, and was surprised to see Kageyama sitting cross-legged at his desk, drinking a carton of milk as he read something on his phone. Hinata smiled as he watched him, the golden rays of the evening sun casting flickers of light across of his body, making his hair shine.

“Hey.” He said as he entered the room, quiet enough to not scare Kageyama as he’d done before when he’d gotten back. Kageyama glanced up from his phone, eyes meeting Hinata’s brown ones. Hinata felt himself flush, his heart rate picking up as he stared at his roommate.

He looked so… normal. He forced himself to break their gaze, turning instead to start unpacking his things, exhaling as he tried to calm his thoughts. _What is happening?_

“Hey,” Kageyama said casually, setting his drink down and uncrossing his legs. “I was waiting for you.” He finished, and Hinata almost choked on his own air at the words. He felt himself flush deeper as he whirled around again to look at Kageyama, who was just watching him calmly.

“W-What?” He asked stupidly, willing his heart to slow down. Kageyama just tilted his head, seeming confused at Hinata’s weird state.

“I said I was waiting for you…” Kageyama repeated, brows pinching slightly as he watched Hinata. He was sure he was as red as a tomato by this point, so he turned his back to Kageyama again to hide his embarrassment.

“I-I heard that part… why?” He questioned towards the wall, internally grimacing as he stuttered a second time. _Why am I so flustered?_

“Do you want to play volleyball tonight?” Kageyama’s question echoed in the silent room, and Hinata’s heart immediately soared. He whirled around to Kageyama again, a bright grin on his face as he nodded earnestly.

“Yes! Oh my god, yes! I’ve been waiting for you to ask!” He said excitedly, before kicking himself internally at the admission. He sounded like a young schoolboy who just got told he was allowed to go home early.

“Waiting for me? Why?” Kageyama asked, watching him curiously.

“W-Well, I didn’t want to push you, so I figured I’d wait until you were ready…” He said honestly, laughing to himself at the irony of Kageyama now asking _him_ why he’d waited. It was silent for a few moments, and Hinata raised his eyes to look at Kageyama. As usual, his face was unreadable, impassive. He wondered briefly if he’d overstepped his boundaries again, before Kageyama’s response tore him out of his thoughts.

“Oh… well, thanks.” Kageyama said quietly, getting up from his chair and putting on a dark blue jacket. Hinata just nodded again, quickly pulling on an orange hoodie and shoving his hands into his pockets. Kageyama grabbed the volleyball that sat on his desk, exhaling slowly as his hands touched the familiar worn material.

They stood there for a few moments, neither of them moving.

“I don’t know-” Kageyama started, lips pursing as he looked out the window. “I don’t know where to go...” He finished, his cheeks colouring slightly in embarrassment as he rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. Hinata’s heart softened at the sight, laughing lightly as he grabbed Kageyama’s sleeve, pulling him towards the door.

“I know the perfect spot!” He said happily, excitement racing in his veins.

* * *

Soon enough they reached the hill that Hinata had spent lunch with Kenma on earlier that day. He tossed his bag down haphazardly as he rolled up his sleeves and gestured towards the space grandly, looking to Kageyama.

Kageyama just nodded, setting his bag down gently beside Hinata’s and moving to stand across from him. Hinata was sure that Kageyama could feel the excitement exuding from him in waves, but he didn’t care. He watched as Kageyama held the ball in his hands, staring at it deeply as if lost in thought.

“Toss to me!” He said excitedly, and that seemed to pull Kageyama out of his trance. He glanced down at the ball one more time before inhaling gently, lifting it up and sending a gentle toss Hinata’s way. At least, it _looked_ gentle, until Hinata found the ball whirling towards him.

He had little time to react, shooting his hands out to receive, but his positioning was way off. The sound of the ball smacking Hinata’s skin echoed between them, a small “ah” escaping from his lips as the ball veered off to the side and down the hill.

They both stared at the ball as it rolled down, silence hanging in the air before Hinata burst out laughing, hand on his stomach as he pointed at Kageyama through his giggles.

“What the hell was that? Take it easy on me! I haven’t played for a few months either you know!” He howled through his laughs, wiping some tears from his eyes that had formed. Kageyama just stood there dumbly, staring at Hinata with parted lips before his brows pinched and he stalked forward, pointing his finger towards the shorter male.

“That toss was perfectly fine! It’s your fault for being a shitty receiver!” Kageyama yelled, glaring as he dropped his hand. Hinata just laughed harder as he waved Kageyama off and ran to pick up the forgotten ball. As angry as Kageyama sounded, Hinata could see the shine of excitement in his eyes as he had stared down at his hands. He knew that feeling well.

They tossed back and forth like that for a while, until the evening sun started to dip below the horizon. The calm river water reflected the stark oranges and pinks of the clouds, casting soft light across the grass and trees. Students were still milling about on the pathways, but the two of them were completely in their own world.

Hinata sniffed as he quickly wiped some sweat from his brow while Kageyama set up to send him another toss, watching as the sweat on Kageyama’s forehead glistened in the evening light. The cool breeze felt great on his hot skin, and the sounds of them hitting the ball and their pants filled the empty air. They were having fun, but Hinata could feel the tension. They wanted more, they _needed_ more.

He felt his heart race as he grabbed the ball out of the air, holding it beside his waist as he took a second to catch his breath. Kageyama just stopped and looked at him questioningly, face frowning at the loss of pace.

“Hey, I want to try something…” Hinata started, biting his lip as he glanced up at Kageyama. The latter only raised his eyebrow, urging him to continue. “I want to spike your toss. Will you set for me?” He finished, biting his lip nervously again as he watched Kageyama’s face change.

He seemed conflicted, like he wasn’t sure he was ready, but Hinata could see and feel the tension in their tosses, and he felt the excitement and yearning for more in his own veins. He knew that Kageyama had to be feeling it too.

It was silent for a few moments, only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves of the trees filling the air as Hinata waited for a response.

“Okay.” Kageyama said quietly, looking down at the palms of his hands before he closed them into fists. “Okay.” He repeated, this time more confidently, a smirk on his face as he looked up. Hinata shivered at the glint in his fierce gaze, hand tightening on the ball he held at his waist. “But you better be ready, because I’m not going to hold back.” He finished, snorting at the gawk that appeared on Hinata’s face.

“Okay, then. I won’t hold back either.” Hinata responded, his surprised demeanour quickly turning serious as he faced Kageyama fully, a smile crossing his lips as he met Kageyama’s eyes. The wind blew between them, strands of hair falling across Kageyama’s cheek as they stared at one another. Adrenaline raced under Hinata’s skin, he felt alive.

He exhaled once before tossing the ball up, sending it Kageyama’s way. Kageyama responded immediately, his feet digging into the ground as he set the ball upwards into a high arc. Hinata responded on instinct, kicking up the grass underneath his feet as he ran, feeling all the energy in the balls of his feet as he bent down and jumped, soaring into the air. He felt more than saw his hand hitting the ball, a loud ‘SMACK’ echoing on the empty hill as Hinata shot the ball forward, watching it soar down the hill.

His blood rushed in his ears as he stared down at his reddening hand, heart racing as he shot his fist into the sky, yelling into the air. He stood there like that for a few moments, panting from the excitement before he turned to look at Kageyama, his heart almost stopping at the sight.

He was staring down in amazement at his own hands, and Hinata could swear he saw the glint of tears prickling at his eyes as a smile crossed his lips.

Hinata felt something in his chest clench. He didn’t take a second to think, only feeling his feet jerk from their spot as he ran towards the setter, jumping and wrapping his arms around Kageyama’s neck in a hug, a grunt escaping Kageyama’s lips as they fell backwards onto the grass.

He gasped from the force of the fall, eyes shut tight and limbs grasping Kageyama tightly as they came to a stop.

He opened his eyes slowly, sitting backwards as he looked down. He was sitting on top of Kageyama’s waist, Kageyama’s hands gently grasping his hips as he leaned back against Kageyama’s bent knees. Hinata felt time stop as he stared down, watching as Kageyama stared up at him, eyes wide.

The sound of their phones ringing with a notification broke them both out of their trance, and Hinata was dragged back to reality. He felt his heart stutter as he realized their position, blushing deeply. The warmth from Kageyama’s hands on his waist felt like hot coals.

His heart raced as he broke their gaze, fearful of seeing Kageyama’s reaction. He used every ounce of willpower he had left to stand up, immediately missing the warm feeling of Kageyama’s body against his own. He kicked himself internally at the notion, exhaling as he tried to calm his rampaging thoughts.

He coughed awkwardly as he fiddled with his bag, pulling his phone out and checking it as a distraction for his raging heart. Kageyama was still for a few moments before he himself slowly stood up, dusting himself off as he walked over to his own bag.

“U-Uh…” Hinata started, grimacing internally at his stutter. He could still feel the burning blush in his cheeks, so he stared pointedly at his bag so as not to face Kageyama. “They bought pizza, wanna go back and eat? I’m pretty hungry after all that exercise, I’m sure you are too!” He questioned, chuckling awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his head.

He could hear his heart beating in his ears, and he exhaled slowly to try and calm down. Kageyama still hadn’t responded, so he steeled himself and risked a glance up at the taller male. Kageyama was just staring down at him, face now impassive. He was about to start babbling nervously to break the awkward atmosphere, but just before he was about to open his mouth and embarrass himself more than he already had, Kageyama spoke.

“Yeah, I’m hungry too. Let’s go.” He said calmly, picking up his bag and looking back towards Hinata when he noticed the smaller male hadn’t moved yet. Hinata used that as his chance, and he quickly tied his bag up, throwing it over his shoulder and catching up with Kageyama as they walked back together, Kageyama picking up the forgotten volleyball on the way.

Neither of them spoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 4! Hilariously this one was a lot longer than I intended it to be, but I think it turned out well! A MASSIVE thanks to users A_Simple_Girl, :), and Poprocks_k for your kind comments! They really mean the world to me!!! <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata starts having an internal crisis, and Kageyama opens up a little more.

The walk back to the dorms had Hinata fidgeting with the strap of his bag the entire way, his unwillingness to meet Kageyama’s eyes resulting in an inability to know how the other was feeling. They often worked or ran in silence with one another, but as Hinata’s thoughts raced he could only wonder if Kageyama were feeling the same way.

The sun had set below the horizon, cool air chilling his sweaty skin as they continued on in silence.

_He probably doesn’t think anything of it. He’d have lost his mind if I overstepped, right?_ Hinata thought to himself faintly as they’d walked quietly beside one other, staring pointedly at the ground. _That’s right. I’m probably just overthinking things._ They were both just excited about the spike- it had been months since either of them had played, so it was only natural. Kageyama obviously didn’t think much of it.

_So why do I?_

* * *

Hinata had never felt more relieved than he did when they entered the dorms, the smell of pizza and the chatter of their dorm mates filling the empty air between them. Steeling himself, he took a quick look up at Kageyama to see the other’s reaction, blue eyes meeting his own for the briefest moment before Yachi’s call turned their heads. Kageyama simply turned and started walking towards her, and Hinata felt a twinge of frustration as he watched Kageyama’s retreating form before he himself started wandering over.

“Wher’ were yo’ guys?” Noya questioned around the pizza dangling from his mouth, almost dropping it as Tanaka slapped him on the back and laughed, Suga chuckling too despite the warning glare he sent their way.

Hinata glanced at Kageyama warily as he sat down beside him on the couch, with as much distance between them as he could muster without it being obvious. His brows furrowed as he fumbled for his words, Kageyama evidently not interested in responding himself as he grabbed a plate and reached towards the table to grab a slice of pizza.

“We were playing volleyball!” He responded as casually as he could, feeling his excitement start to rise again as he saw Yachi’s eyes dart between the volleyball and him curiously. Noya only raised his eyebrow in question as he continued to chew, Tanaka leaning in as well, urging him to continue. Hinata felt his nerves easing as he glanced at their expectant faces, warmth filling his chest at their interest.

“It was awesome! It’d been so long since I’d played, I forgot how amazing it felt to hit a proper spike!” He continued, smiling as he looked down at his hand, the feeling of his skin hitting the ball echoing in his mind. Yachi followed his gaze, eyes wide.

“What does it feel like?” She asked softly, looking up at him again.

Hinata smiled to himself as he thought back to that feeling- that feeling of control and power that came from making a great play. The feeling of connecting with your teammates and communicating through the game. The feeling of flying.

“It feels… it feels all _gwahhh_ , you know?” He said excitedly, flapping his arm in a spiking motion as he glanced around the table, flushing slightly in embarrassment as he saw everyone’s confused gaze. They had _no_ clue what he meant. He spared a quick glance at Kageyama, pleading for help with his gaze, but instead he saw amusement in those blue eyes as Kageyama watched him casually, leaning back against the couch and eating his pizza with no intention of stepping in.

“Uh… Well, it’s different from blocking and receiving. I mean, those are both super important too and fun in their own way, but when you get a perfect set from a great setter it’s like you can see the ball in slow motion, and when I open my eyes and hit the ball, it feels… It feels electric!” Hinata finished excitedly, clasping his hand into a fist as he stared longingly at the volleyball. It wasn’t until he looked up to see Yachi’s lightly flushed face as he glanced between him and Kageyama that he realized what he’d said, an embarrassed flush rising once again on his cheeks as he quickly looked away, focusing on grabbing a plate and a piece of pizza for himself. Kageyama had stopped eating, and Hinata could feel his intense gaze on the back of his head.

“A perfect set from a great setter, huh? That’s high praise for the King.” Tsukishima interjected from across the table, a smirk on his face as Kageyama’s eyes flashed towards him, narrowed into slits.

As if sensing the tension rising in the room, Suga quickly cut in.

“Oh! I forgot to mention. I know that midterms are coming up for most of you-” he started, snickering at the collective groan that sounded from around the table before continuing, “so I wanted to remind you to keep studying! For most of you it’s your first year, so it’s important to set yourself up strong for the following years! Plus, Daichi and I are always here if you need any help!” He finished, happy with his brief lecture.

“Education majors, really…” Tanaka joked, grimacing as Suga smacked him in the side without hesitation. “I’m just kidding, Suga’s right!” He rescinded after, shooting his hands out to stop Suga from hitting him again.

“You’re one to talk, you’re in your second year and you’re barely passing your classes!” Noya said through a laugh, ducking as Tanaka lunged for him playfully.

“Don’t out me like that!” He said through a laugh of his own.

Hinata just laughed along with them, smiling around his food.

* * *

By the time he had excused himself from the table, Kageyama had already returned to their room and showered. The setter sat quietly at his desk, leaning over the pages of notes scattered across the surface as he worked on his homework. His tense back and focused gaze seemed so opposite to the relaxed posture and openness he’d seen on Kageyama’s face earlier that evening. Maybe Suga’s words had had more of an effect on him than he’d let on.

Hinata glanced at him warily, deciding not to try to speak to the other boy. Instead, he grabbed his stuff and quickly went into the bathroom, shutting the door and changing out of his clothes.

He exhaled shakily as he stepped into the shower, running a hand over his face as he thought about the day’s events. Kageyama had waited for him, _waited for him_ , and asked him to play. He genuinely couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt as excited as he did when they set out to find a spot to play- he’d almost felt as excited as he did the first time his team had won a game back when he was in highschool.

Spiking the ball had felt unreal. It wasn’t until now that Hinata had the time to really reflect on the whole thing. Kageyama’s set had been- well, to put it bluntly, it had been perfect. The perfect angle, the perfect speed, the perfect height. It allowed him to put all of his control into the power of his spike, and it had felt _incredible_. He hadn’t ever felt that from a toss before, and his excitement and astonishment had only increased tenfold at the fact that it was _Kageyama_ that had tossed to him.

Of _course_ it had been Kageyama, with his perfect athletic reflexes and perfect everything. His team had almost gone to nationals, so of course the set would be perfect. But Hinata hadn’t expected the feeling of electricity that spiked in his veins as he shot his hand into the air, or the rush of feelings that slapped him in the face when he looked back towards Kageyama. He hadn’t expected to see the raw emotion on the setter’s face, and he definitely hadn’t expected himself to fucking run and _hug_ him.

Hinata groaned audibly as he slumped forward, forehead resting on the cool tiles in front of him as he let the water droplets pelt his back. _I cannot believe I did that; I could have ruined_ _everything_. He thought to himself as he scrunched his eyes shut, sighing again.

The rush of adrenaline he’d felt from the spike had been immediately taken over by the warm feeling of Kageyama’s body against his own as they crashed into the grass, his body fitting perfectly on top of Kageyama’s hips as they stared at one another.

Hinata reached down lightly, grasping his hips where Kageyama’s hands had rested. They had been so gentle, but he’d felt their warmth radiate all the way to his skin, like a burn. His hands stilled as he realized what he was doing, eyes shooting open wide as he quickly removed his hands from his hips, shoving them flat against the wall in front of him as he stared at them accusingly.

_What the hell am I thinking about? They’re just hands, it’s just Kageyama. You’ve hugged people before, you giant idiot_! He yelled in his mind, still staring astonishingly at his hands splayed out in front of him. _That’s right_. He thought afterwards, _There’s nothing different about this_.

_So why can’t I stop thinking about it_?

He shut his eyes again, removing his hands from the wall and turning back towards the shower, letting the warm droplets soothe his rampaging thoughts. He was just excited about Kageyama opening up to him, that’s all.

That’s all.

* * *

He left the bathroom quietly, towel slung over his neck as he padded towards his bed. He sat down and crossed his legs, pulling one of the textbooks out of his backpack and flipping it open to a random page haphazardly.

“Did you really think my toss was that great?” Kageyama’s quiet voice broke the silence, and Hinata startled at the question, eyes glancing up to meet Kageyama’s as they stared back at him from his desk.

“Y-Yeah, I mean…” He started, swallowing thickly as his nerves spiked. This was the first time they’d spoken directly since their… ordeal, and he wasn’t sure how to respond. As he stared back at Kageyama, though, the openness in his eyes and the vulnerability the setter had showed him during that day brought him back to reality, and he decided to just be honest. “Yeah. Truthfully, it was probably the best toss I’ve ever been sent.” He finished, glancing quickly down towards his textbook as he saw Kageyama’s eyes widen slightly.

It was silent for a few moments, and Hinata thought the conversation had already come to an end before Kageyama spoke again.

“I get it, you know.” He said softly, eyes still trained on Hinata from across the room. Hinata just looked up again, confusion written all over his face. “The _gwahhh_ feeling. I get it too. Thanks for letting me feel it again.” He finished, turning calmly back to the homework in front of him and breaking their gaze.

Hinata had never felt more grateful for Kageyama turning away from him, because in that moment, the flush that rose on his cheeks was strong enough that it went all the way up to his ears, and all he could do was stare at the back of Kageyama’s head with wide eyes as his heart hammered in his chest.

“Oh, and if you want to keep running together in the mornings, just set an alarm. I don’t want to keep spending ten minutes waking you up each time.” Kageyama added afterwards, still facing his homework.

Hinata just continued to stare at him from the bed, mouth hanging open ever so slightly as he let Kageyama’s words register in his brain.

_That’s it_ , he thought to himself surely, _he’s going to kill me_.

* * *

They continued their morning running routine for a few days, neither of them speaking much about volleyball or the incident at all, which made Hinata feel both better and worse about the situation.

On the bright side, it likely meant that Kageyama couldn’t have cared less about the whole thing, and that he was just throwing it out of proportion. But, on the flip side, it meant that Hinata really was weird for not being able to get it out of his thoughts.

Hinata shook his head softly to bring his focus back to reality, the sound of his and Kageyama’s feet hitting the pavement echoing between them. He panted lightly as they jogged through campus, the bright morning light reflecting off of the newer buildings and casting rays on the cement in front of them. It was calm and peaceful, and Hinata thought he quite liked these quiet mornings, until an abrasive yell startled them both out of their focus.

“Tobio-kun!” Someone yelled from behind them, and Kageyama came to a stop almost immediately. Hinata took a few steps more before turning back to look at the taller male with a questioning stare, feet tensing as he saw the murderous look in Kageyama’s eyes.

_What’s going on?_

“Long time no see!” Came the voice again, and Hinata leaned to the side to peek behind Kageyama, a taller male’s form coming quickly into view. He gawked as he watched the stranger approach- the man was beautiful, Hinata couldn’t deny, brown hair sweeping across his face as he came to a stop in front of the two of them. “Oh? Who’s this?” The stranger said curiously, eyebrows raising as he looked down at Hinata. Before he could respond, Kageyama’s booming voice sounded from beside him.

“Why are you here?” Kageyama asked coldly, irritation piercing his brows as he frowned towards the stranger, arms crossed at his chest.

“Don’t be like that, you know I go to this university too!” The stranger said, sending a pout Kageyama’s way before turning back to Hinata again. “Tobio’s always so bad at introductions. I’m Oikawa! Oikawa Tooru. What’s your name?” He asked, reaching a hand out for Hinata to shake.

He didn’t respond for a few seconds, trying to understand what was happening. The last time he’d seen Kageyama that angry had been at the entrance ceremony. His mind reeled as he looked back and forth between the two of them, unsure of what to do. Kageyama looked like he was about to rip Oikawa’s head off, but Oikawa was paying him no mind.

“Hinata, Hinata Shouyou…” He responded calmly, reaching out to shake Oikawa’s offered hand. Kageyama glared down at their attached hands before exhaling lightly.

“Shouyou, hey? I didn’t know Tobio-kun had any friends!” Oikawa said flippantly, ignoring the annoyed “tch” that escaped Kageyama’s lips as he continued to glare at the brown-haired male. Hinata just stared at Oikawa with an astonished look before he frowned. What was this guy’s problem?

“Kageyama has a lot of friends, actually.” Hinata started, frown deepening as he stepped towards Oikawa, before the feeling of Kageyama’s hand on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks. Kageyama was telling him to stop.

Hinata faltered, turning to look up at Kageyama with wide eyes, but the setter was still glaring intently at Oikawa.

Oikawa just glanced between the two of them with a raised eyebrow before responding.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to offend. Tobio’s just so quiet and angry all the time that I didn’t know he could make any friends! I’m glad to see he has someone like you, though!” Oikawa said, flashing him a blinding smile and a thumbs-up. Hinata continued to stare at him incredulously, unable to understand why he was being so bluntly rude. “Take care of him, and make sure he studies hard! He’ll need all the help he can get on his exams!” Oikawa finished with a laugh before waving gently, and continuing on his way. Hinata just watched his back retreat, silence hanging heavy in the air before he felt Kageyama’s hand slide off of his shoulder.

He tried his best to ignore the warmth that lingered on his skin as he glanced up at Kageyama. He was about to ask how the hell he knew someone like that and why he simply stood there and took the rude words, but the warning glare that Kageyama gave him sent a shiver up his spine. Hinata could tell he was absolutely livid, so he resigned himself to silence and just nodded softly.

Kageyama just sighed gently and turned to start running again, and he followed without another word.

Hinata bit his bottom lip as he ran, urging himself to calm down. He’d ask Kageyama about it later, but for now he had to be patient.

* * *

Once the weekend came, Hinata felt utterly burnt out. He sat in the common area beside Kageyama, Yachi on his other side nestled deep into a bean bag chair. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi huddled over their notebooks across the table, while Noya and Tanaka’s quiet but animated conversation about which of their professors were the most attractive filled the silence.

He hadn’t mentioned the Oikawa incident to Kageyama, and the setter seemed content to leave the topic undiscussed. Despite Hinata’s blaring curiosity about the situation, the murderous look he’d seen in Kageyama’s eyes stopped him from bringing the topic up again.

He sighed as he set his pen down, leaning back against the couch, crossed legs aching from sitting in the same position for so long. He glanced at Kageyama, the taller male’s hair tickling his cheeks as he leaned forward to read his notes. Hinata could see the lines of exhaustion near his eyes, and he wondered idly whether he’d see the same on his own face if he looked in a mirror. They’d studied almost every day for hours on end, and Hinata was nearing his breaking point.

“You’re going to get wrinkles by the end of this year if you keep frowning like that.” He muttered cheekily, picking up his pen and poking Kageyama’s cheek gently. Kageyama’s brows furrowed as he turned to look at him, blue eyes sending a piercing glare his way. Hinata just chuckled as he watched Kageyama, sending the other male an innocent grin.

“Yeah? Well, you’re going to miss the rest of your exams if you keep distracting me.” Kageyama responded, raising an eyebrow at Hinata and leaning towards him slightly.

“Oh? What’re you gonna do about it? You need to stop working so much anyway.” Hinata responded casually, flipping the pen between his fingers before yelping loudly as he felt more than saw Kageyama’s hand reaching out and grabbing the top of his head, squeezing tightly. “Hey, let go you idiot! That hurts!” He squealed, writhing in his seat and ducking to escape the other’s strong grip. Kageyama just smirked back at him, a smug look of “I told you so” written across his features.

“Now you’re distracting all of us.” Tsukishima quipped from across the table, startling Hinata from their interaction as he turned to look towards the blond, the feeling of Kageyama’s fingers against his scalp lingering far longer than he would have liked.

“Hinata’s got a point, though…” Yamaguchi cut in, sighing as he closed the textbook in front of him. “We’ve all been working for so long, we look like zombies.” He finished with a chuckle, glancing around the room. Yachi just giggled and nodded from beside Hinata, before her giggle turned into a yawn.

Hinata knew he’d have to put in a lot of work if he wanted to do well in his classes, but the thought made him grimace. It wasn’t that he was particularly awful at school, he just wasn’t _good_ at it. His focus was always elsewhere, whether it be on volleyball, friends, or anything he could distract himself with. He’d never felt the passion for school that all the intelligent kids seemed to have, and that meant that he had to force himself to work twice as hard to receive a grade even remotely comparable.

He wondered idly if Kageyama ever felt the same struggle, glancing up at the taller male beside him. He was about to ask, before another voice cut in.

“Kageyama, you work twice as long as the rest of us, how are you still alive? Please, teach me your ways!” Tanaka said enthusiastically, slapping his hands together as he looked at Kageyama pleadingly. Noya just nodded intensely, sitting up on his knees as he pointed his pencil towards the setter.

“He’s right, you’re like a weird robot or something. You have to be at the top of your classes.” Noya added afterwards, spurred on by Tsukishima’s amused snort that sounded from across the table.

Kageyama just stared at the two of them silently, before sighing and leaning back against the couch himself. Silence hung in the air as they waited for him to respond.

“I’m not.” He said casually, looking down at the table before pulling out his phone. The group just stared at him with dumbfounded looks, obviously wanting him to continue, but Hinata knew that the curt response meant that he didn’t want to say any more.

“Not what? Please, expand on your great wisdom.” Tsukishima prodded, Kageyama’s eyes snapping up to the blond in a glare. Hinata saw the setter stiffen beside him, tension in his muscles as he fought himself on whether or not he should continue. They sat in awkward silence for a few more moments before the pressure of everyone’s gazes finally broke the other male, and Kageyama sighed exasperatedly as he set his phone down, crossing his arms and staring at Tsukishima blankly.

“I’m not top of my class. I’m not even close to the top of my class. I’m not good at school.” Kageyama responded bluntly, an embarrassed flush on his cheeks as he continued to glare at the blond, not willing to stand down.

Hinata mirrored the surprised looks that the rest of the table gave him, mind reeling at the news. Not good at school? Then why is he in such a hard program like engineering? Does he even like engineering? Is that why he’s always working so hard? To make up for it? The questions rang in his mind as he continued to watch Kageyama dumbly.

Kageyama, the perfect boy with the perfect work ethic and perfect volleyball skills was actually bad at something?

“Wait, so, you work this hard even though you’re not good at school? That’s actually really admirable. I wish I could be that motivated.” Yachi offered quietly from beside him, and he saw Kageyama’s surprised gaze turn towards her as she spoke. Hinata smiled softly to himself as he watched the setter, warmth flooding his gaze as he silently thanked Yachi for saying what he couldn’t to calm the mood.

“It’s not really my choice, but thanks.” Kageyama answered with a shrug before turning back to his work, now properly done with the conversation.

Hinata just stared from beside him, mind reeling with everything Kageyama had said. He felt naïve to think that he knew Kageyama as well as he’d thought, when the reality was that the other boy had truly barely opened up at all.

With Kageyama, every open moment or shared thought felt like a gift, and he yearned to find out more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 5! I went back to work and Christmas happened so sorry it took a little longer. I'm thinking updating once a month is a doable goal for me :) I had to end this chapter a little suddenly otherwise it would have turned into a maaaaassive chapter so I'm just going to split it into two for the time being. Thanks to kurasuchi and poprocks_k (again hehe) for the kind comments!! <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata continues to learn more about his roommate.

A few hours later Hinata found himself sitting silently at his desk, staring absentmindedly at the papers in front of him as his exhaustion-ridden brain sent any and every thought to distract him from his feeble attempts at studying.

Kageyama had packed his things and left to go to their room a while after their discussion, and Hinata had been quick to follow. It wasn’t until he’d settled down at his desk that he realized he’d basically up and followed Kageyama like a clingy puppy, and the thought made him wince internally.

It wasn’t that he was _clingy,_ necessarily, it was more that Kageyama was really the most interesting thing in his life at the moment and there was still so much he didn’t know about the other boy that any opportunity to learn more sent his curiosity skyrocketing, and thanks to Tsukishima’s innate ability to piss his roommate off he was able to learn yet another interesting thing.

Kageyama Tobio was bad at school.

The thought almost made him giggle, a broad grin crossing his features as he stretched his legs out in front of him, enjoying the feeling of release in his tense muscles. Now he had something else he could connect with Kageyama over, other than their mutual love for volleyball.

_Who knew being so bad at school would come in handy for me one day_? He thought to himself idly as he snickered underneath his breath, turning around in his chair to look at Kageyama.

The raven-haired male was sitting hunched over his notes, scribbling away frantically, and Hinata couldn’t help but yawn from just looking at him.

“Hey, Kageyama…” He muttered quietly, picking at the wood on the back of his chair as he waited for his roommate to turn around. After a few seconds of silence, he sighed exasperatedly, pouting at the back of Kageyama’s head.

“Kageyama?” He asked a little louder, frowning when still, no reply came.

Hinata stretched towards his bed, reaching out to grab his pillow before flinging it at the back of his roommate’s head as he yelled “KAGEYAMA!”, chuckling as Kageyama whirled around, wide-eyed and confused as he registered the situation.

“Earth to Kageyama! Anyone home?” He asked jokingly, chuckling some more before the sight of his pillow suddenly flying back towards him clouded his vision, his breath whooshing out of him as it hit him in the face. He laughed, setting it on the top of the chair and resting his chin on it as he sent a half-hearted glare Kageyama’s way.

“Why did you do that? You scared the shit out of me, dumbass.” Kageyama said through gritted teeth, rolling his eyes at the innocent look Hinata sent him.

“Hey, normal people don’t space out so hard when they’re studying that they lose touch with reality.” Hinata shot back with a smile.

“I guess I’m not normal then.” Kageyama ground out, staring at Hinata pointedly. He wasn’t saying anything else, but he hadn’t turned back around yet either, so Hinata took the chance to continue their conversation from earlier.

“If you’re bad at school then don’t you ever hit a breaking point? I have to take breaks all the time because my brain just decides to quit halfway through.” He asked honestly, glancing back to his half-hearted notes and messy desk. “How do you do it?”

“I might be bad at school, but I don’t have a pea sized brain like you.” Kageyama responded snidely, snickering at the glare Hinata had plastered on his face before he sighed, flipping around in his chair so he was facing Hinata fully. “But honestly, taking a break doesn’t really do much for me. Sure, it’s exhausting, but I have so much work to do all the time that I can’t really do anything about it.” He finished quietly, pointing backwards towards the stacks of textbooks on his desk.

Hinata just nodded sympathetically, the messy pile of notebooks and textbooks flipped to random pages across his desk mirroring Kageyama’s own.

“You’re in engineering, right? Do you even like it?” Hinata asked, wincing at the immediate change in Kageyama’s demeanour as his roommate tensed, brows pinching together as he stared pointedly at the ground. “S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend-” he said quickly, waving his hand out apologetically, but the setter’s voice shut him down.

“No, it’s- it’s not your fault.” Kageyama answered honestly, not looking up to meet Hinata’s eyes as he continued. “No, I guess I don’t like it. I mean, I don’t hate it, but it wasn’t really my choice.”

Hinata frowned at the words, thinking back to when Kageyama had said something similar earlier that same evening.

“You said that before, what do you mean it wasn’t your choice? Isn’t university about _finding your passions_ or something cheesy like that?” Hinata asked, licking his lips nervously as he prodded his roommate.

“Maybe for other people, I guess. My parents are engineers, and pretty successful businesspeople. It’s just always been the plan for me to go into engineering and follow in their footsteps.” Kageyama responded quietly, picking at his jeans as he sighed. His black hair fell across his cheeks as he stared downwards.

Hinata reeled at the words, brows furrowing again as he watched Kageyama quietly. It had never made sense to him, hearing stories about people forced to make big commitments by their families like it was no big deal. His parents had never really forced him to do anything. Sure, they would sit him down when he got lazy or talk to him about having goals to work towards, but they’d always allowed him to forge his own path.

Hinata felt a smile grow on his face at the thought, heart warming with appreciation for his family.

“Have you talked to them about it? It’s not really fair of them to push you to do something you don’t want to do.” He asked softly, biting the inside of his cheek as Kageyama’s eyes snapped up towards him, frustration oozing from his look.

“You don’t understand. It’s not that simple. The only thing I’ve ever loved is volleyball and I botched the one chance I had at that. There’s no way my parents would give me another chance to pursue something even if I did find something else I liked- they were furious when I got injured.” Kageyama responded, gritting his teeth on every sentence.

Hinata watched him with wide eyes, feeling frustration rise in his body as he processed Kageyama’s words.

_What the hell?_

“What do you mean they were furious? Furious you got injured? That wasn’t even your fault! There’s no way you could control something like that!” Hinata shot back, throwing his arms up in the air in frustration. Kageyama just snorted, his blue eyes still trained on Hinata.

“That’s not what they think. They think I wasted the opportunity they gave me to pursue something on my own accord, that I wasn’t good enough.” Kageyama responded honestly, eyes dropping as he stared dejectedly at the ground. “I failed at volleyball so now I have to work twice as hard while I’m here to make up for it.” He finished, gnawing on his bottom lip as he sighed.

Hinata watched him, mouth hanging open as his heart clenched. Seeing Kageyama so dejected and worn out tugged at something inside of him, and all he wanted to do was stand up and hug him, let him know that it was _okay_ , that he hadn’t failed at anything. That it wasn’t his fault- but he knew that it would only make the situation worse.

Hinata exhaled gently as he looked down, watching the floor.

He knew his parents were more accepting and supportive than most, but hearing Kageyama’s story made him realize how much he’d often taken their support for granted.

“I can’t imagine that…” He started, eyes darting upwards to meet Kageyama’s cold gaze. “But, I’m sure your parents didn’t mean it like that. Maybe they’re a little more strict than most, but they’re still your parents. I’m sure they’d still love and support you if you chose something else.” He finished softly, picking at the hem of his pillow nervously.

Kageyama just rolled his eyes and snorted.

“ _Love_ has never really been a word I’d use to describe my family. It’s either I’m good, or I’m not. My sister went through university and got her degree without causing any issues, so I should be able to as well.” Kageyama responded, lips curling over the word ‘love’ like he just took a bite of a rotten apple.

Hinata’s eyes widened at the words, excitement rising to replace his frustration as he listened to Kageyama.

“Wait a second, you have a sister?” He interjected, both out of interest and a feeble attempt to steer the conversation to a more positive note. Kageyama raised his eyebrow at the enthusiasm, nodding gently.

“Yes. She’s a few years older than me. Her name is Miwa.” Kageyama said, voice quieting as he finished his sentence.

“I have a sister too! She’s a lot younger than me though, her name is Natsu!” Hinata said enthusiastically, standing up and pointing towards one of the polaroids pasted on the wall above his bed.

The picture was of him giving Natsu a piggy-back ride that very summer, a wide grin on her face as she wrapped her arms around Hinata’s neck, giggling as he surged forward. Kageyama’s eyes followed his gesture, staring intensely at the photo with an unreadable look before a small smile broke his tense features.

Hinata felt his heart flutter in his chest at Kageyama’s look, grinning broadly as he let his hand drop.

“When I was younger, my sister used to give me piggy-back rides like that, too.” Kageyama said quietly, his smile widening as warmth began to replace the tension in his body. “It always made me feel like I was on top of the world.” He finished, looking back at Hinata.

Hinata felt himself flush at the warm gaze, quickly turning to look at the polaroids again. He could never handle the intensity in Kageyama’s eyes, and when it was warmth that filled them- welcoming him, compared to the usual coldness that radiated ‘stay away from me’, there was no way he could continue to talk- like the words just died on his lips as soon as he would meet those blue eyes.

“Ah, yeah… we’re really close, Natsu and I. We used to spend almost every day together after school. She would follow me around asking me about volleyball and my classes… she’s even starting to get into it herself now. We would spend hours in the evening just tossing back and forth to each other.” Hinata said, staring at the picture fondly as he let out a soft sigh.

It hadn’t even been two months since he’s started university, but he missed his sister already. It had been the longest time in their lives so far that he’d spent away from his family.

“My sister was never into volleyball like I was, but she would always come to my games. It was always nice to have her support.” Kageyama responded as he rested his chin against the back of his chair.

_Cute!_ Hinata’s mind screamed as he watched his roommate, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as he forced himself to find a response, glancing away again to collect his thoughts. Kageyama had never been so open with him, so willing to talk. It was throwing him for a loop, and he was struggling to handle it.

“My mom and Natsu would always come to my games when they had time,” He started, before rubbing a hand against his eyes at the embarrassing memories. “They were sooo embarrassing. They would yell over the stands and make their own cheers. We were just a small-town team so we didn’t have a lot of local support. They stuck out like a sore thumb.” He finished, a smile making its way onto his face as he buried his head in the pillow still in front of him.

Kageyama’s soft chuckle brought him out of his thoughts, and he raised his head at the sound.

“Your mom sounds like a really supportive person.” Kageyama responded, watching Hinata intently without saying anything else.

_He’s… asking for more?_ Hinata thought quickly, cheeks flushing as he suddenly started feeling self-conscious.

_Kageyama_ wants to know more about _me?_

“A-Ah, yeah… She’s always been the most caring person I know! She always worked her hardest to take care of Natsu and I when we were younger. We never struggled necessarily, but my parents worked their butts off to make sure we were able to live comfortably. She always wanted me to have as many experiences as I could, so she’d take me out on hikes and walks all the time! I’m sure I caused her a lot of trouble… there were so many times where we’d get home and I’d be covered in mud and grass- but she’d just laugh and send me to the bath.” Hinata responded enthusiastically, sitting up fully now as he finished. He was astutely aware that he was rambling, but he couldn’t get himself to stop.

Kageyama just nodded at his words, eyes still trained on Hinata as he propped his elbows on the top of the chair, resting his chin in his hands.

“Do you guys talk a lot, even now?” Kageyama questioned curiously, smirking slightly at the flush that rose on Hinata’s cheeks as he nodded gently.

“Yeah, other than Kenma she’s probably been my closest friend! She’s always been a really great support for me through school and just life in general I guess. She’s taught me so many lessons about finding the things I’m passionate about and working towards them! She always told me never to settle for anything less than what makes my heart happy. Even a person, she’s the one that taught me I’ll know when I’ve found the right one when they make me feel all warm and fuzzy and _gwahhh_ \- you know? And I-”

Kageyama’s loud laugh broke his train of thought, and Hinata stopped speaking at the sudden sound. It echoed in their quiet room, and he stared at Kageyama in astonishment as he listened to it. It was light and happy, sounding almost foreign coming from Kageyama’s lips, and Hinata’s heart raced as he watched the smile etched into Kageyama’s features.

_Holy shit_.

Kageyama’s laugh soon quieted down into softer chuckles, a hand coming up to wipe a tear that had formed in the corner of his eye from the strength of his laugh.

“Warm and fuzzy, huh?” Kageyama chuckled as he took a deep breath to calm himself down, smirking towards Hinata.

Immediately Hinata felt his cheeks warm, embarrassment flooding his features as he covered his face with his hands before dropping his head into the pillow, wishing he could strangle himself with it.

“Oh my god…” He mumbled into the fabric as he could feel his ears burn with humiliation. _I can’t believe I just did that. I can’t believe I just rambled about such useless stuff and said something like that in front of him without even thinking!_ He thought to himself, wishing in that moment he could be anywhere but there.

“No, it’s… it was cute.” Kageyama said softly, still chuckling lightly.

Hinata raised his eyes, heart skipping a beat as he processed the words. Kageyama was watching him, teeth poking through his lips as he smiled, arms crossed at his chest. He did the only thing that came to his brain in that moment, which was lifting the pillow and chucking it at Kageyama for a second time, straight at his face.

_How can you say something like that so easily, you idiot!_ Hinata thought as he tossed the pillow, exhaling deeply as he tried to calm his racing heart and thoughts. Kageyama caught it with ease, tossing it back, but this time over to Hinata’s bed.

“It’s late, let’s get some sleep.” Kageyama said quietly, offering Hinata one last small smile before he abruptly turned back to his work, closing his textbooks and clearing his desk off for the night.

Hinata just stared at the back of his head, mouth hanging open before he threw his arms up in the air, gesturing wildly at nothing. _I can’t handle this, I can’t handle this man_! He thought to himself as he stood up, ignoring the mess on his desk and instead grabbing a change of clothes before wandering into the bathroom to have a shower.

He refused to think about anything related to Kageyama for the rest of the night. Refused to think about Kageyama’s family, refused to think about Kageyama’s smile, Kageyama’s laugh, or how much he wanted to hear it again.

Or, at the very least, he tried.

* * *

The next afternoon, Hinata found himself laying on the ground on the hill he’d officially decided to claim as his own, hands behind his head as he watched the clouds passing above him. The rest of the prior evening had passed with barely anything else spoken between him and Kageyama, given that his roommate had passed out by the time he’d finished his shower.

The next morning went like usual, both of them groggily forcing themselves to wake up to go for their morning run. But, Hinata could tell that something had changed. At the very least, he could tell that Kageyama was becoming more comfortable around him.

The small smiles, laughs, and subtle touches were replacing more and more the angry words and stand-offish tendencies. The cold, tense features of his roommate were softer, more relaxed, and Hinata was struggling to understand it.

It didn’t make sense how Kageyama could flip so easily between his cold and isolated attitude to a warm and open one. He was starting to think that it wasn’t that Kageyama wasn’t necessarily unwilling to open up, but rather that he didn’t actually have anyone in his life he felt like he could open up to.

The thought made his heart ache.

A loud buzz from a text tore Hinata from his thoughts as he jumped slightly, reaching over to grab his phone and holding it above his face in front of the sun so he could look at the screen, a smile raising on his lips as he saw Kenma’s icon.

**PermanentlyExhausted** : _Do you want to come and study with us again tomorrow?_

Hinata groaned outwardly at the words, rubbing a hand over his eyes as he sat up. He had done so much studying the past week that he felt like he was going to die, but he knew that it was probably a good idea.

**Tangerine** : _no but i guess yea…_

Hinata sighed to himself, picking at a blade of grass beside him before he got a fantastic idea.

He could, of course, go and study with Kenma like they had done before. Or, he could invite Kageyama this time just like Kuroo had mentioned.

It was very likely that Kageyama would reject the idea flat out- he had to encourage his roommate to even spend time with their dorm mates when they wanted to do something. But, the chance to spend more time with Kageyama and maybe introduce him to the only other regular people he had in his life weighed out the con of him simply saying no. He inhaled gently, letting the cool air soothe his mind.

**Tangerine** : _should i bring kageyama this time?_

It took Kenma a couple minutes to respond, and Hinata bit his lip as he stared at his phone. _Why am I so nervous?_

**PermanentlyExhausted** : _Kuroo says sure. He’d probably be a good influence on you for studying._

**Tangerine** : _hey i’ll have u know i’ve been working really hard lately._ ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ

**PermanentlyExhausted** : _Sure. See you guys tomorrow then, Shouyou._

Hinata just rolled his eyes, chuckling to himself as he stared at his phone before the realization hit him.

_Oh, shit. Now I have to invite Kageyama._ He thought to himself, groaning inwardly as he fell back against the grass again, letting the sun warm his skin and calm him down.

It’s fine. They’d been making good progress, and they’d all be studying anyway so there was no real reason for Kageyama to reject his offer, right?

_I’ll do it after class._

* * *

Hinata stood outside the door to their room, fidgeting with the strap of his bag as he scrambled to find the courage to do what he was about to do. He grasped the doorknob, compiling all the resolve he could before throwing the door open and walking inside confidently.

Kageyama was sitting at his desk as usual, two cartons of milk wrung dry beside him as he scribbled away at his notes. Hinata chuckled at the scene, already feeling tired just watching him.

“Kageyama!” He said enthusiastically, sauntering further into their room and tossing his bag down on his bed before standing in front of the setter with his hands on his hips.

Kageyama jerked at the sound of his name, head flipping towards Hinata. His brows narrowed in irritation as he prepared to berate the orange haired male for distracting him before the tension left his features almost immediately as he met Hinata’s strong stare.

“What’s got you in such a twist?” Kageyama asked casually, snorting at the frown that crossed Hinata’s face as his hands fell from his waist.

Hinata just stared at him dumbly, before inhaling a deep breath and steeling himself.

_It’s now or never._

“I had a great idea, you know?” He started, smirking at Kageyama’s confused look. “You should come study with me and Kenma tomorrow!” He finished, nodding slightly as he sat down on his bed, facing Kageyama.

“It’s going to be at Kuroo’s place. And, Kuroo lives with Bokuto so he’ll be there too. And since Bokuto’s there Akaashi will probably be there too!” He continued, anxiety spiking as he saw the tension reappear on Kageyama’s face with each mention of a new name. He could sense Kageyama’s impending rejection.

_Come on Hinata, save it, save it!_

“Ah- but they’re all really nice and super smart and we actually do study when we’re together! I’m sure you’d love them, they all play volleyball too!” He finished in a rush, air whooshing out of him as he stared at Kageyama expectantly, putting on his best puppy dog face in the hopes that it would help sway him.

The mention of volleyball made Kageyama raise his eyebrows, and Hinata silently congratulated himself. It was silent for a few moments before Kageyama spoke.

“Sure.” Kageyama said curtly, before putting one of his ear buds in and turning to study again, leaving Hinata to stare at the back of his head. Hinata felt the air rush out of him again as he exhaled, the anxiety leaving his body before being quickly replaced with excitement.

_Success!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here she is! Now that I'm getting further into this story (and more used to writing in general) there is sooo much I want to rework in the earlier chapters. (ಥ﹏ಥ) That being said, I honestly am loving writing this so much. Thank you for all of your support and kind words!


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